You've Only Just Begun
by SentinelSaiyan
Summary: AU At the end of Graduation, Buffy is thrown by the explosion to a universe where, instead of demons, there are Goa'uld. UPDATED
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: Buffy, The Vampire Slayer belongs to WB, Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon. Stargate SG-1 belongs to MGM, Scifi and Geko. No copyright infringement is intended and no money has changed hands. _

Author's note: This is the brainchild of my evil muse, Demoncat. I have worked on this story exclusively for several days, ignoring my other work in favor of getting this beauty started. I had to admit that it was a good idea, and once I got into it, the plot trapped me. So here's the prologue. I have this and four chapters complete at this point, just not typed, so you won't have to worry about me falling behind on this one, at least for some time. 

This is very AU, for both universes. Everything up to "Graduation Day, P2" happened except that we changed the ending. I've played merry havoc with the facts in SG-1, so take nothing for granted. Daniel does not "ascend" in this story. Jonas never happened. And the other changes will make themselves known to you as the story unfolds. 

Enjoy! 

* * *

MAY, 1999, GRADUATION CEREMONY, SUNNYDALE HIGHSCHOOL 

The Mayor had started his speech, and it had promised to be a long one. They had already known that the man was evil, but this was even worse. Buffy wished that the orbits would just hurry up and converge so she could get to the exciting part. It might seem callous or shallow, but it was more the fact that, not only did she hate waiting, but she hated listening to long speeches. She just wanted everything to get to the point where she could kill the demon. 

Then it happened, and there were vampires and armed students everywhere. There was the giant demonic snake that the Mayor had become. And there was Buffy, Vampire Slayer, running through the halls, leading said demon snake on a merry chase through the halls of Sunnydale High toward a massive bomb. A bomb situated directly on top of the local _Boca del Inferno_, the Hellmouth to most people. 

Until that point, all had gone as planned, but random chance threw its lot in with Fate and the course of this little universe's plot was altered forever. The Slayer tripped on a stack of books that wasn't supposed to be there. 

With the C4, the mystical esscence of the Hellmouth and the demon's flesh, the result would never have been so catastrophic, and could have been attributed to a ruptured gas main. But thrown into that volatile mix was one of the most powerful and ancient demonic esscences that had ever graced that dimension. The Slayer. 

All Hellmouths on Earth reached into the same Hell, though there are countless others in all the vast multiverse, and with the explosion in one of them, the entire Hell dimension collapsed, creating a destabilization in the Earth's crust as hundreds of other Hellmouths all over the planet began to explode. A chain reaction had been started. Not long afterwards, Earth sunk into the vacuum left by the destroyed Hell. The moon soon followed, and then Mars, Venus and other rocky bodies throughout the system, until finally the sun itself was doomed to fall into the immensely predatory gravity sink. Eventually, that entire universe will fall into it, only to be reborn in a billion years or so. Even chaos takes time, but the end is certain. 

But all was not lost. Instead of dying, as perhaps she should have, in the death of her universe, Buffy Summers was caught in limbo by a powerful, ancient being. This was a creature who knew and could manipulate the multiverse. He was neither god nor devil, but a servant of something much larger than those things, while being of less intelligence than a human child. It could handle simple tasks of cognition, but it could make mistakes, and one of those mistakes had caused those books to be left in Buffy's path. So, feeling responsible, it took hold of her and preserved her whole, with the added life span of a thousand generations. She could do everything she could before. She was still a Slayer. Only now she would live long enough to see and do anything she could possibly want before she died. 

He sat her down gently on the surface of a new world, touched her face gently, and then left her to wake naturally on the desert sands of Chulak. 

* * *

_And that's the prologue. Don't worry about our little Monolith character. You won't ever see him again. He's just a plot device._


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: Just a quick note. I know the line used in the title was not said before Graduation, but it'll be used later in the story. 

* * *

CHAPTER 1

Buffy woke slowly, groggily. She knew that something was wrong, but precicely what escaped her. _Hot. It's really hot. Did I land too close to the fire?_ That thought caused her to wake fully. She remembered tripping and the explosion, but nothing else. 

She opened her eyes to a completely foreign landscape. On three sides of her location the only features were sand and dunes. Behind her lay the walls of a city, walls as yellow as the sand and probably made of stone. Rising from within those walls was a huge stone pyramid, though just how huge she couldn't tell. She had no sense of scale. 

Looking around herself, Buffy saw nothing that would aid her survival. No water, no food, nothing. Cities meant people, and even she knew that in the desert, people didn't build where there was no water. For desert people, water was worth more than gold. 

So she started walking toward the city, praying to anyone who might be listening that the city wasn't a ghost town, abandoned and dry. When she saw the glider overhead, she didn't think she'd have to worry about that. After all, if a plane was flying that low, it had to be based near by, right? Then she wondered what she had gotten herself into when she saw the small craft settle to the ground directly in her path. The cockpit opened to reveal something she'd never seen before. the being hopped out of the glider and walked over to her position. 

It was like something that should have been in a history book on Egypt somewhere. A man in a linen kilt who had the head of a snake. But the snake's head seemed mechanical, artificial. It was meant to scare, but if there was one thing that you could count on, it was that Buffy Summers was not easily intimidated. He finally reached her position and said something in a language she didn't understand, pointing the end of his staff in her direction. _Weapon_, she thought. Well, maybe he was just this place's version of a cop. She held up her hands in a non-threatening kind of way and said, "Sorry, didn't see the no trespassing signs." 

The snake-man changed his question to her language. "I did not say you had trespassed, though you may have. I asked you who you are." 

Leaving her hands where they were, she answered him. "Name's Buffy. Don't know much else, though. I couldn't tell you how I got here, or even where here is. I'm just no-clue-girl for today. Say, do you have any water, 'cause I am completely parched." 

The snake-head had no facial expressions, which was really annoying. He said, "I don't carry water with me. Still it would seem that you have not intentionally breached any law. Come with me. The second seat is empty. I will take you back with me and we will see what must be done with you." He swung the business end of his staff up so that Buffy was no longer in danger from whatever it was. Lines about little dogs and Kansas skittered through her head as they walked toward the plane. 

As they reached the eagle-shaped craft, curiosity got the better of her. "So what's your name?" 

"Bra'tac." 

* * *

Bra'tac brought the strangely dressed girl with him to the training camp after landing his glider. He knew nothing about her, other than her name. And what kind of name was Buffy, anyway? How had she ended up in the desert with no knowledge of how she had gotten there? She didn't even know her location. She only knew the basics, like desert and hot. She was like no woman he had ever met. Her manner of speaking was entirely odd. She wore a dark red leather garment over simple black clothing and black boots, which he could tell contained a knife sheath. She had straight golden hair which she had quickly twisted into a knot on top of her head and secured with a strange yellow stick. She was small, even for a woman, but he sensed something strong about her, like fire snapping in her extraordinary green eyes. 

Bra'tac, upon arriving at the command tent, removed his snake head, revealing his face to the young woman. She said, "Cool!" smiling widely. He raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. Um, cool is usually a good thing." "Especially in the desert." She chuckled. Just then, one of Bra'tac's young Jaffa trainees came into the tent to give his report. "Ah, Teal'c, how go the exercises?" 

Sparing a glance for the strange woman, Teal'c answered quickly. "They go well, Master Bra'tac. All are improving greatly." 

"Good, good. Teal'c, this is Buffy. I found her in the desert, and she does not seem to have any knowledge of this world. We would know it if she had come through the Chapa'ai." 

"Perhaps she lies." 

Buffy stood up. "_Excuse me?_ You've never even met me before and you want to start accusing me of lying?" 

Teal'c was young, just eighteen, but he was big, and he had two full heads of height over Buffy, but she was not intimidated in the least. _Interesting,_ thought Bra'tac. 

"I do not know you, Buffy, therefore I do not trust you. There are many who are jealous of Master Bra'tac's position and would gladly kill him to get it. How are we to know that you are not a weapon planted for him to find?" 

"'Cause that would be really bad tactics? I mean, I woe up in the middle of the desert. Are they just gonna hope he finds me and not some other pilot? It's a little too bizarre to be an evil plot, don't you think? Not to mention the only weapon I have on me is the knife in my boot, which I'm pretty sure Bra'tac noticed the moment he saw me. I am not in any position to be a secret weapon, mister!" 

Bra'tac chuckled. "She has a point, young Jaffa." 

"It is wise to be cautious, Master." 

Buffy said, "Caution is all to the good, but paranoia isn't. Paranoia can make you miss something." 

Bra'tac said, "However, for someone who claims not to be a weapon, you know much of strategy." 

Buffy snorted. "I never claimed I wasn't a weapon, just not a secret one, and I'm not against you. You picked me up out of the middle of the desert, even though it's got to be bugging you that I'm such a mystery, instead of leaving me out there to dehydrate. No one could make me a weapon against you." 

Bra'tac nodded. "Good enough. So where are you from? I've never seen clothing like this, nor heard people talk the way you do." 

"Well, I'm not really sure how to answer this question. I mean the gravity of this place seems kind of high to me, so I'm guessing that this is either a different dimension or a different planet or both. You might not have any idea what I'm talking about if I tell you about home." 

Teal'c said, "Perhaps you should explain what happened." 

Buffy nodded. "Sounds good. It's pretty complex, though. We could probably do with some food and water for this discussion." 

"Agreed. Teal'c, if you would call for refreshments?" 

* * *

The discussion took all night. Buffy explained about her world and the events that had led to her arrival, and they explained that they were in the service of the god Apophis. Buffy knew that the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. _Should have paid more attention in class, Buff._ It seemed strange to her, the way that the two warriors explained their service to their god. "You mean they put a baby god inside you guys?" 

"Yes, an infant. They must have a host to survive the first part of their lives. Then they take a host body and the Jaffa receives a new infant to protect." 

"This is probably really rude, but I promise I'm just curious. Can I see one?" Something about this whole story was freaking her out, and not just the gross medical part. It smacked of something sinister, but she couldn't prove anything. She wanted to give her instincts a better go at it. 

Bra'tac sensed her caution. Teal'c, still young and zealous, did not share it. He had grown up with the situation and saw nothing wrong. That would not happen until he witnessed some of the atrocities that the System Lords were capable of. 

Meanwhile, Bra'tac nodded and lifted the leather jerkin he wore under his armor up and over his head, revealing the pouch where his symbiote resided. 

Buffy's Slayer sense was activated by the little beast, just as she'd been afraid it would, but as an incipient danger, not an active one. It was a "kill it before it becomes a problem" kind of feeling. She looked at Bra'tac's face, wondering how he dealt with having that thing inside him. 

Buffy knew that she couldn't say anything about it, so she just thanked Bra'tac. She would talk more with the older Jaffa when Teal'c had left the tent. 

* * *

As Teal'c left, Buffy addressed Bra'tac. "So what's the truth about those things? I get the young-stupid-loyal vibe off Teal'c. You know better." 

Bra'tac nodded. "You are correct. Teal'c is too young to see the truth about the System Lords, but once he has seen what they are capable of, I have faith that he will wish to fight against them. The System Lords and all their race are called the Goa'uld. When the infants mature, they take a human host and submerge their personality. They do not die, but are forced to watch the atrocities that their bodies commit. 

"The Goa'uld are parasites, and they are thieves. All the technology they have was gleaned from the races they have conquered or destroyed . And the Jaffa are no more than incubators and canon fodder to them. Humans are cattle. They care nothing for their faithful servants. They are cruel and vicious, and they are often willing to destroy whatever lies in the path of what they want." 

"So this is slavery you're talking about." 

"Yes. Slavery disguised in religion and fanatic devotion." 

"From what you say, there are no true demons in this universe as there are in mine. I fought against being the Slayer when I was younger 'cause I didn't want to loose my normal life. Later, I fought so that at least _someone_ could have a normal life. And now I don't have a life at all. I'd like to feel I'm doing some good by existing." 

Bra'tac smiled. "You are a weapon without a weilder, a warrior without a cause. Would you care to join ours?" 

Buffy grinned. "Why not? I'm always up for kicking ass and taking names." She looked at his staff weapon. "Do I get to play with the shiny toys?" 

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: I fixed the spelling mistakes in the prologue and Chapter 1. I promise that I will use my spell checker before I post next time. As for the composition of the bomb, I played with that a little. I used C4 instead of the fertilizer bomb and put a motion detector on it with a fifteen second timer. It would have been enough time for her to get out but not the snake, if things hadn't gone wrong. 

Thanks for all the reviews! I have Chapter 5 written now, as well. I'm going pretty fast through this for a while, but you'll figure out why after a while. 

* * *

CHAPTER 2

In order to join the Jaffa rebellion, Buffy had to be introduced. Out of necessity, they had to be very cautious about who they allowed to join them. They warmed up to her quickly, however, as they saw what she was capable of and that she genuinely felt their cause was just and right. she learned a lot that first month, mastering the staff weapon and the zat'nikatel, beginning to learn the language and learning the structure of both the Goa'uld government and the rebellion. It was a lot, but she was making a beautiful beginning. 

In hand-to-hand, there was nothing they could particularly teach her but their particular style, and the Jaffa quickly learned not to underestimate her in that arena. She could use her hands and any bladed weapon with purely instinctive skill, she was stronger than any Jaffa, and she had the advantage of her height. Most wouldn't think that 5'2" had any advantages, but she was often underestimated because of that and she made a smaller target besides. 

Sometimes, when she was just out exploring the city she would see Teal'c. She really wished that he was a part of the resistance, because until he was, there was no way she was going to risk a relationship with him, but she just couldn't ignore the good heart or the magnificent body. Still, it was something he had to realize for himself. She couldn't even talk to him about it, or he would realize that she was a part of the rebellion. 

It was a year before Buffy saw combat. She couldn't be hidden among the Jaffa troops for many reasons, so she fought in the open, in clothing she found comfortable. That battle taught her a great deal, however, things that Bra'tac couldn't. She had only ever been a part of one mass battle in her life, and that was the quickly organized arming of the senior class on Graduation Day. 

The year had brought Bra'tac and she into a close father/daughter type relationship. She had learned that she could come to him with anything, from strategies to homesickness. When she started missing the Scoobies and Giles and her mother, Bra'tac was there to help her pick up the pieces and move on. He even helped her deal with her affection for Teal'c, reminding her that he would likely come around very soon. It would not take very long for him to feel the betrayal of his god and come to seek advice from his master. 

Buffy was loving travel by the Stargate. She had started calling it that as soon as she'd learned the translation of the name. She had never gotten to travel much because of her Slayer duties, not counting that run away to Cleveland thing, and now she was getting to see new planets on a nearly bi-weekly basis. And she got to fight the forces of darkness, too. For the most part she was having a blast! She just knew it wasn't going to always be like that, so she enjoyed it while she could. 

* * *

"Bra'tac! Behind you!" 

The Training Master spun 'round, trusting the Slayer implicitly. There were three Horus behind him, and thanks to Buffy's warning, he stunned them quickly. 

This mission was not going well. They had come to sabotage the shipyards of a System Lord called Heru'ur, and they had found a mass of soldiers waiting for them. The reason for that was not treason but sheer bad luck. One guard had slipped away when they exited the Stargate, and now they were in the fight of their lives. The bomb was planted. Now they just had to get themselves out of there before it blew. 

Buffy was in quite a fix of her own at the moment. She was surrounded by five Horus guards and it wasn't going to be much longer before they stunned or killed her if she didn't think of something quick. She noticed the beam structure over their heads and took a page out of the Hollywood book, making a high-flying summersault like Luke Skywalker had in "Return of the Jedi" and landing with cat-like grace on one of the cross beams. Then, unlike Luke, she took advantage of the position and started blasting away with her zat'nikatel, which she called the zat gun. She couldn't get anyone else to call it that, though. Jaffa just didn't have a good sense of slang. They understood what she was saying and they tolerated it, but they wouldn't use it. 

Finally, they had cleared the path to the Stargate. Buffy leapt down and activated the control pedestal, dialing the code for an abandoned world where their ships lay in orbit waiting for them. Within five minutes, all of the rebels had gotten through the Gate but Buffy. She ran for the event horizon and leapt through. 

The instant she was on the other side of the Gate, Buffy ran for the rings, slapping the control button on her wrist as soon as she was in position. She was gone before the Horus ever made it to that side of the Gate. 

* * *

Buffy had begun to think of Chulak as her home. After a year and a half, it was the place she felt the safest, and she knew that she was in no danger there. Apophis had yet to show his face there since her arrival, so it wasn't something that was a constant worry in her mind. So when his pyramid-shaped warship was planted firmly on its docking peg as they came out of hyperspace and landed on their homeworld, Buffy bristled. Bra'tac put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not fret. One day we will be rid of him and all his kind." 

Buffy grinned. "Oh I wasn't fretting. Plotting his very messy death, but not fretting." 

Bra'tac smiled. He had always enjoyed her gallows humor during battle, and it was certainly not out of place here. "Let me know if you discover a way to accomplish it." 

Buffy chuckled. "No problem." 

* * *

Apophis sat with a deep scowl on his face, looking down at the Jaffa commander before him. "You disappoint me, Dar'teal. I want to know who this golden-haired warrior who has allied herself with the rebels is. She consistently defeats huge numbers of my best Jaffa. I want to know who she is NOW!" 

The Jaffa trembled. "I have been unable to discover this. It is as if she did not exist before the past year began." 

Apophis's eyes narrowed and flashed in the Goa'uld way. "You have failed me for the last time." He stood and walked to stand in front of Dar'teal, then pressed his ribbon device into the Jaffa's forehead, slowly destroying the brain tissue of one of his best men. 

Just to the side, Teal'c fought to keep silent as his father was murdered before his eyes. He knew that if he spoke, he would be next. He, unlike his father, knew who the golden-haired warrior had to be, and he had no intention of revealing her now. In fact, he would probably be joining her. There was no reason not to do so any longer. 

* * *

Bra'tac was surprised when he returned to his command tent to find Teal'c sitting in the floor, wearing only his robes and tears. His face was hard, nothing of his emotions showing there but the tears that were streaming down his face. "What is wrong, my son?" 

"My father is dead." 

"He is dead? How!? None was greater than Dar'teal in battle!' None other than himself and the daughter of his heart, Buffy, could have matched Dar'teal in a fight. 

Teal'c nodded. "It is true what you say. But my father was not killed in battle. He was murdered by Apophis. How is it that our god, our protector, could do such a thing simply because he could not find one piece of information?" 

Bra'tac looked at Teal'c, judging how much he could tell the young Jaffa. "Did he fail Apophis in some way?" Dar'teal had been one of the best in the rebellion, but he was also one of the best of Apophis's warriors, and he had been assigned to find Buffy's identity. He would never have given Apophis that information. It might have gotten him killed. 

"He was to discover the identity of a formidable female warrior who has allied herself with Apophis's enemies. He could not find the information. I know who she is, But I am now reluctant to give her to Apophis. He would give me my father's position, then give me an impossible task and kill me when I did not complete it. I can only wonder what else this -- this _demon_ has done1 He has betrayed us!" 

Bra'tac nodded. "It is not the first time, not will it be the last." 

Teal'c looked up. "You are one of them." Bra'tac nodded. "And the warrior is the woman you found in the desert." He nodded again. Teal'c sighed. "I should report you. But I find myself in the strange position of wanting to join you. What must I do?" 

* * *


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews. As for their content, let me supply a few answers. Chulak, like every world, has many different climates. This is one of them. The Gate is in the forest, but the city is in the desert. It may not be like that on the show. I can't rightly remember. But this is AU anyway. As for Buffy's relationship with Bra'tac, he was given a bit of a push. The little Monolith character made sure that she would be all right before leaving her there. I'll be exploring that in future chapters. And I never said Dar'teal was the leader of Apophis's armies, just that Teal'c would have been given his position if he had provided information which his father had failed to provide. And Cronos may have killed his father in the series, but he didn't have Buffy to deal with and get annoyed about, did he? evil grin 

Now that I've answered the nitpickers, let me say that the shippers' questions get answered in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Buffy was looking over some old texts, trying to learn how to read the language of Chulak. It looked like the script she'd seen in the movie "The Mummy", the newer one with Brendan Fraser that had only just come out before Graduation. They'd called it hieratic. So many things about the Goa'uld were Egyptian that she had to wonder if there was a connection, but there was no way to find out. She was really wishing that she had paid more attention in History class. 

Suddenly, Bra'tac came in to her tent, along with Teal'c. "Bra'tac?" 

"It is all right, my student. Teal'c has decided to join us." 

Buffy looked at Teal'c. He had been crying, something she was sure was not the norm for him. "I have to ask. Why the change of heart?" 

"Apophis has murdered my father." 

Buffy gasped. "No!" Bra'tac put a hand on her shoulder in comfort, knowing she had become friends with Dar'teal. "It was because of me, wasn't it. God damn it! I told him not to go being a hero on my account! Damned stubborn son of a bitch!" She couldn't help it. She started crying, leaving Bra'tac to explain things to Teal'c. 

The Training Master sighed, stroking the girl's back and letting her cry. "Your father was one of our number. He and Buffy had grown close, as warriors will. He would never have given up her identity to Apophis. He knows, knew that Apophis wants her either dead or made a host." There was steel in his voice as he continued. "He will not find her. I and many others, including your father, have sworn it." 

Teal'c sighed, looking at Buffy. Such a strange name, but then she was a strange girl. Strange and extraordinary. "My father's honor would never have allowed him to betray a brother -- or sister -- at arms, even if you might have preferred that to his death. He will be avenged, Buffy. You and I will see to that." He knelt beside her. "If you will allow me to join you?" 

Buffy nodded. Through her tears she said, "Welcome to the club."

* * *

Buffy looked up from the book she was reading. _Should any warrior believe that their life is dead, then let them begin a new one, letting the old life pass away and beginning anew under a new name._ That was her, no doubt. She thought of how Giles would have been shocked to find her reading a book, and one on philosophy at that. But so much about her had changed. War did that to a person. She looked over to where Bra'tac was looking through his strategy maps. "You know, this is my home now. I feel safer here than I ever have anywhere else, including Sunny Hell. And I'm so different now. Guess I went and grew up. But it's like this book says. I want to begin new, with a new name, something that's the me of now and not the me of then." 

Bra'tac nodded, smiling. "Then we will give you a naming ceremony. What name would you like?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know. How are kids around here named?" 

"Usually a child's name is a mixture of their mother's and father's names." 

Buffy thought about it. "Well, my Mom's middle name is Anne, and it's my middle name, too. But my Dad wasn't really all that much. He hasn't been around since they split." She looked at Bra'tac shyly. "Would you care to take the position?" 

Bra'tac was shocked. She felt more for him than for her own father? "You honor me." 

"You've been there for me more in two years than Hank Summers ever was in eighteen. Please?" 

Bra'tac bowed lightly. "Very well. Then you shall be called Tac'an. We will celebrate tonight!" He moved closer to her. "You realize, of course, that this means I have adopted you as my daughter? It is even legal. And Teal'c will have to go through me to get to you." 

The Slayer grinned, glad that her new father had noticed her attraction. "I know."

* * *

Tac'an faced Teal'c in a sparring ring. He had heard much about her skills, and he wanted to see them for himself. "You sure about this Teal'c? I mean, I wouldn't want to hurt you." She may have changed her name, but she still had the sass. 

Teal'c smirked. "We shall see, Tac'an. We shall see." 

She grinned back. This was going to be fun! Then she waited for him to attack. 

Teal'c didn't make her wait long. He came in with a fast punch, which she blocked easily and then the blows passed between them with blinding speed. Teal'c was no slouch himself, so it was quite a fight, but Tac'an was the more imaginative of the pair. She made him do the work, running all over the ring and testing his footwork, then swiftly changing directions and forcing him into a direct defense. When he inevitably lost track of her for a moment, she had leapt into the air and landed a side-kick square on his chest. He went flying, landing on his back fifteen feet away as she landed lightly on her feet. She walked over to make sure he was okay, but she wasn't caught unawares when he jumped up, easily blocking his punches and kicks. 

Teal'c didn't win the match, but he did stay upright for the most part, which was more than most could do. Tac'an stood catching her breath and trying not to laugh at the disgruntled expression on his face. "Hey, not bad! Most guys don't last very long. You actually winded me!" 

An eyebrow rose across his tattooed forehead. "And this is a preferred result?" 

Bra'tac, who had been watching the fight, laughed. "No one else has lasted even half as long, including me." 

"How is it that you are so much stronger than a Jaffa? It is the symbiote that gives us our strength." 

She just shrugged. "I am the Slayer. In my old universe, demons weren't just a legend. They were a nasty little fact of life, kind of like the Goa'uld are in this one. Somewhere along the line, a defense was created. I don't know how or by who. The saying went, 'In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.' When one dies, the next is called, and their life expectancy wasn't exactly very long once they'd been called. I think the records were six years and five minutes." 

Teal'c frowned. "Then this strength was necessary for your survival?" 

"Still is."

* * *

Teal'c had been swiftly rising among Apophis's ranks ever since his father's death. Apophis suspected nothing, and Teal'c was getting closer and closer to him. He was best left where he was by the rebellion, as most were, though it forced him to commit the atrocities he wished to prevent. He would have revealed himself and fought openly long ago, probably getting himself killed in the process, if it had not been for the unflagging support of Tac'an. He came to her after every horrible thing he was forced to do and she let him cry on her shoulder or take out his frustrations with her in the ring. After all, she could handle him. 

Tac'an knew that she was falling for Teal'c, and she was wary of telling him. She didn't want to become his weakness. She worried that one of his men would find out about them and out him to Apophis. And what if she were captured? She could be used against him, and that wasn't something she could allow. His father had died to protect her. She wouldn't let Teal'c die as well. 

Teal'c knew that she was thinking like that, so he didn't push, but he wanted to be with her. He wanted to give her that normal life she had always talked about. It wouldn't be easy, and they would still face a great deal of danger, but they would be together. He didn't know how much longer he could wait before he asked her. He wasn't just smitten. He was very much in love with her.

* * *

"Tac'an, please. You are the only person I could ever feel this for." 

"Teal'c you _know_ how much Apophis wants me dead! I can't put you in danger like that!" 

"Then why do we fight!?" Tac'an rocked back on her heals. Teal'c so rarely raised his voice that it was a shock. "If it is not so that we and everyone else may follow our hearts without fear then why else!? Or do the Goa'uld win this battle and control our very lives without even firing a single weapon?" Teal'c took a deep breath. "I do not wish to fight with you, Tac'an. I only wish to love you. You are the strongest human who has ever lived, and you use that strength to protect everyone but yourself. Please, Tac'an. I want nothing in this life more than freedom and you." 

Tac'an just stared at him. He was offering everything she wanted, and he was right. She was letting fear rule her life. She walked that small distance that she'd left between them, and kissed him soundly. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, setting her nerves on fire. No one had kissed her like this since Angel, and this was so much stronger a feeling. She pulled back to look in his eyes. "I love you, Teal'c. And you're right. They don't win." 

Teal'c smiled broadly. "It is I who wins."

* * *

The wedding was held five years to the day from her arrival on Chulak. Tac'an had been dressed in the traditional wedding gown of a Chulaki maid, which was in the deep green of new leaves from the distant forests that held the Stargate. Teal's wedding robe was also green, in a lighter shade. The two young warriors exchanged wedding rings, as they used on Earth, but they also used the more traditional beaded necklace and pendant. They vowed to protect each other and to be faithful, and they lit the flame on a torch to symbolized their love's fire. 

The entire rebel cell was present for the wedding and pelted them with the petals of lotus blossoms as they left for the wedding tent. Then they all left, returning to their normal duties, save for Bra'tac. He went back to his own tent and found a flask of wine that he had never opened and poured some into a glass, celebrating in his own way the marriage of his adopted daughter and his student. They were well matched, and he only wished that it had not taken them so long to see it.

* * *

_Reviews, please! _


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! 

I'm skipping through the timeline very quickly, only touching down very occasionally in this chapter until a certain point. I also steal a scene from the first episode of the SG-1 series and change it up just a bit. Please remember that this has an AU sticker on it. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 4

Years passed, and decades. Jaffa lived for a very long time, barring injury, and Tac'an wasn't aging. She didn't know why, only guessing that it was a Slayer thing. For sixty-four years, Tac'an was the strongest threat from the Jaffa rebellion. And Teal'c slowly rose in the ranks from a simple soldier until he was the First Prime of Apophis. The strongest fighter and the strongest spy, and together they were the best chance there was for the Jaffa to free themselves. 

But fate couldn't leave the Slayer alone, and things took a turn for the worse on a world called Ramak. Teal'c and Tac'an were working this one together. Teal'c wore a cloth turban over his gold-filled tattoo to keep his identity secret from those he fought. The mission had gone badly. It was one of Heru'ur's weapons factories; he had known they were coming somehow, and it had been a rout. Now they were just trying to make it back to the Stargate before they were caught by the Horus Guards. Tac'an shouted, "Get in there! I'm right behind you!" Teal'c leapt for the event horizon and disappeared. 

Tac'an didn't follow. The Stargate closed and Teal'c felt his heart freeze. His wife was in grave danger. "I have to go back!" He moved to reactivate the Gate. 

Bra'tac stopped him. "No, Teal'c. She is strong. She will make it back to you. She would not want you putting your life at even greater risk. We will wait for a day. Then if she hasn't arrived here, we will go back and look for her." 

Teal'c hated it, but he knew that Bra'tac was right. So he waited. He waited, and exactly one day later he was back through the Gate with a team of six. They searched for nearly a week, but they found no trace of her, and they could wait no longer, as Apophis wanted a face-to-face meeting with Teal'c. 

Most of the Chulaki rebellion became convinced that Tac'an had died on Ramak, and they took it hard. Teal'c, however, couldn't believe that she was dead, and as the years passed, he never gave up hope of finding his beloved wife. Not even after nearly eight years. But he was ready to give up hiding in Apophis's shadow. 

And then fate took a hand again, changing his life forever.

* * *

Apophis said, "Kill the rest." 

Complete panic gripped the prisoners, setting them to screaming and crushing each other into the back of the cell in fear. Apophis and Amonet left the chamber with the ones they had chosen to host their children, the door closing behind them. Teal'c stood with five other Serpent Guards, men under his command who he would gladly kill. But he didn't see any way to get away with this, not with Apophis here, right where he could destroy everyone. 

He had noticed the foreign technology, the fact that these three were not panicking with the rest and that they were not quite aware of what had happened to their loved ones. They didn't know the whole truth, but they had at least the beginnings of a way to fight. As he activated his staff, he found himself at a turning point, a place in his life that would change its course and that of every creature under the heal of the Goa'uld 

One of them seemed to notice his indecision. He was the leader of the strangers. He shouted, "I can save these people!" Teal'c whirled to face him, aiming his staff at the human. "Help me!" 

In a flash, he decided. "Many have said that!" He spun around to blast at the men he despised for their blind servitude of Apophis. "But you are the first in a long time who I believe could do it!" Then he tossed his staff to the human leader. 

One of the guards blasted into the crowd. The human fired the staff on him, and Teal'c took up his weapon. Together they killed all of the remaining serpent guards. The human blasted a hole in the wall, then stuck his head out of it to make sure there weren't any guards on that side. He and the other two foreigners started getting people out through the breach. Distracted, Teal'c started removing the armor he hated. He looked around at the destruction he had wrought, watching with morbid fascination as the lights in one of the snake heads went out. 

The human had turned back to him. "Hey, come on!" 

"I have nowhere to go." If he tried to stay on Chulak he would become a danger to the rebellion there. He would now be labeled _shol'vah_, a traitor. He would be far too infamous a presence on Chulak now. 

But the human was unwilling to just let him flounder. "For this, you can stay at my place. Let's go!" 

Teal'c stared at him for a moment. _He almost sounds like Tac'an._ Then he left with the humans.

* * *

APRIL 7, 2004, CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN, CO 

Daniel watched as Teal'c ran through some katas with his Egyptian broadsword. They were currently in a discussion about Chulaki culture, which didn't distract the big Jaffa from the task at hand in the slightest. "So a warrior can change their name if they thought that their old life was dead? Is that common?" 

"No, DanielJackson, it is not. I only know of one who has done so." Slash, thrust, block, cut. 

"Who was it? Why did they do it?" 

"She is now called Tac'an. Where ever she is now." Teal'c stopped his movements, emotions threatening to overwhelm him. 

"She?" 

Teal'c took a deep breath. "Yes. She is my wife." 

Daniel's eyebrows flew into his hairline. "Wife!? How come we didn't know you were married?" 

"Like you, DanielJackson, I have constantly been searching for my wife. I was very sorry when I had to kill Amonet, because I knew the pain of that search, of not knowing for sure that they will survive, or if they are whole." 

Not wanting to stir up any wounds, Daniel was careful with his next question. "Was she taken?" 

The big warrior shook his head. "I do not know. We were running for the Stargate, and I made it through. She did not. I have never discovered what happened to her. I and Bra'tac looked, of course. She is his adopted daughter. But we found nothing." 

"Tac'an. I've heard that name before, haven't I?" 

"Yes, when I told you the story of the liberation of the planet Melnor. She was instrumental in that campaign. To speak the complete truth, she was the warrior hated most by Apophis until I committed treason against him. Tac'an was never a part of his armies, so she did not betray him. I am the only one who did that." Teal'c smiled sadly. "It has been sixteen years since I last saw my beloved. But I cannot believe that she is dead. I can only pray every day that I will learn something of her." 

"I hope you do, my friend." Daniel stood and left the room, leaving Teal'c to his memories. 

"So do I, DanielJackson. So do I."

* * *

General Hammond was glad that his meeting with these particular Tok'ra would not be held at a time when SG-1 was home. Colonel O'Neill was as likely as not to try and deck Anise any time he saw her, only half the time remembering that it was only the host that suffered, and Freya didn't often have much control over what her symbiote was doing. Not to mention that they still needed this alliance with the Tok'ra. 

As the Gate activated, he brought himself to attention, preparing himself to play the diplomat. Anise was working on a new device that had the potential to destabilize the energy matrix of certain Goa'uld technologies. As it was a surface-to-space device, it would be extremely valuable in the event of an attack. The ship would be able to do nothing offensive but launch gliders, and the missiles on American fighter planes were sufficient to deal with them. They needed this device, and they needed Anise's good will and the good will of the Tok'ra High Council to get it. It was a very good thing that Jack was not here. 

As the event horizon stabilized, three people stepped through. The first was Anise, the second was Martouf and the third was a small blonde woman that Hammond had never seen before. She didn't act like a Tok'ra. As she cleared the platform, she was looking with curiosity over the Gate room, not really paying attention to what the rest of her group was doing. She noticed the ceiling, where the deactivated opening of the old missile silo lay dormant. She noted the group of marines that surrounded the platform, ready for any hostiles that might come through uninvited. She noted both exits and noted the observation windows of both the conference room and the control room. _Soldier,_ he thought. _Interesting._

He, in turn gave her a once over, noting several things. Her blonde hair was plaited down her back in a very long braid so that it would stay out of her way. She wore very light-weight clothing that was tight so that it didn't catch on things and easy to maneuver in. She had a knife and a Zat in her belt, a sword across her back and knife sheaths in both boots. Her intense green eyes caught every detail of her surroundings. This was someone who had been caught unawares at some point in her life and had no intention of it happening again. And yet she didn't look any older than twenty. That and the fact that she couldn't have been more than 5'2" made her quite a mystery. 

Coming back to the task at hand, Hammond greeted his guests."Welcome to the SGC. Anise, Martouf. And you are?" 

"My name is Tac'an."

* * *

Tac'an sat in the ordinary military boardroom, shocked and trying not to show it. This was Earth, she knew it! But at the same time it couldn't be! She had been gone from Earth for eighty-five years, but the wall calendar only showed that five had passed. April of 2004. And the calendar she'd kept in her head all this time told her May. She knew that this had to have something to do with the mess she'd made of Graduation Day, but what that was, she hadn't yet figured out. 

One thing she was sure of, though. As the General offered coffee, her face had to have lit up. After all, it had been eighty-five years since she'd had a good, hot cup of coffee. 

And Hammond didn't miss that reaction either, nor the way she seemed to savor the dark beverage. There was a story here, and once the business at hand was complete, he intended to solve it. 

"So, how go the preparations for the weapon?" 

Anise said, "They go well. It is nearly completed. Have you decided yet what our compensation will be?" 

The President is currently working on plans to provide a permanent home here for the Tok'ra. When you have chosen an Ambassador, they will have quarters here, and they will be informed of every operation we maintain. Full disclosure on both sides; that's what the President wants." 

"That may not be possible, General." That was Martouf. "The council is worried that loosing secrecy, which has always been our best weapon, is a mistake." 

Hammond opened his mouth to argue the point, but suddenly the klaxon went off. The Gate was being opened. SG-1 wasn't due back for hours, and neither were any other teams. He stood and nearly ran to the control room. When he got there, he called out, "Do we have a GDO?" 

"It's SG-1, sir." 

"Open the iris." He went down to the Gate room, noticing that Tac'an, who hadn't said much yet had followed him. 

"What's going on?" 

"This team wasn't due back for several hours. Anything could be wrong." 

"Can I help?" 

He looked at her and nodded. If anything, he could keep an eye on her. They arrived in the Gate room and Tac'an drew her Zat, dropping to one knee and aiming at the Gate, keeping herself out of the line of anyone else's fire. The seventh chevron locked and the wormhole formed, wooshing outward, then inward before stabilizing into the watery event horizon. Not two seconds had passed and first Jack, then Daniel, Sam and Teal'c ran through the Gate. As soon as Teal'c was through, Jack shouted, "Close the iris!" 

The order was followed just a second too late and one eagle-headed Jaffa launched himself into the SGC. He was met by a hail of bullets and was killed instantly. 

Tac'an stood, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Teal'c?" 

Recognizing the voice apparently, Teal's spun around. His eyes widened to match hers and a huge smile blossomed on his face, such a rare sight that everyone else could only stare. "Tac'an!" They ran toward each other and the big Jaffa picked up the tiny woman and embraced her fiercely. It was like they were alone, too wrapped up in their reunion to notice that there were people around them who were utterly confused. 

Still, Daniel had at least one answer. "Did he say Tac'an?" 

Hammond nodded. "That's what she said her name was. What's going on here?" 

Daniel grinned. "I don't know everything, but Tac'an is his wife. He's been looking for her for sixteen years." 

Jack's jaw dropped. "He's been looking for sixteen years? She can't be much older than sixteen in the first place! And she's his wife? Why didn't I know he was married?" 

Tac'an giggled, the sound watery from joyful tears and from being muffled by Teal'c's chest. "I'm older than I look." She looked up into the face of her husband. "You are _not_ going to believe the kind of day I've had!" 

Teal'c's smile widened into a grin. "I have had a strange day, as well, Tac'an." 

Hammond just had to get his answers. "Look, I don't mean to interrupt, but what the hell's going on here?" 

Tac'an grinned at him. "It's a very long story, General, and I don't have all the pieces. We need to have a new meeting, I think." Suddenly her face darkened. "Did Anise know that you were here, Teal'c?" 

The big man frowned, not liking the sound of that question. "Yes. She has known me since she first came to the SGC four years ago." 

The blonde growled. "That little bitch!" Suddenly she pushed away from Teal'c and headed for the conference room. 

Jack's eyes widened. "Why do I think that pissing that little girl off is a bad ideal?" 

Teal'c simply followed his wife. "Perhaps because people and objects often fail to survive her ire? The conference table may be in dire jeopardy." 

Hammond and the rest of SG-1 traded looks at the ominous bit of humor, then followed Teal'c. Things were definitely about to get interesting around here.

* * *

_Review please!_


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

Additional disclaimer: I don't feel like making up a fictional incumbent to the Presidency, so I'm using GW. I happen to like him. I didn't vote for him last time, but I intend to this time. Just remember that this is not with his permission as he has much more important things to be doing than reading my stuff. If he wants to have a cow over it, I'll let him, but I doubt he'd want to bother with poor little ole me. 

A/N: I want to thank all of my reviewers for their wonderful comments. You guys are really great! Since everyone keeps asking, I plan on working on the MacGyver crossover later, but this story is going hard and fast for me, and I'd like to keep going with it until it ends. I actually know where I'm going with it (a rarity, I assure you) and aside from some research problems, it's come along with surprising ease. Don't quit reminding me, though. I can be scatterbrained at times. (To the muse: I hear you laughing, you evil Slytherin!) (Like she could avoid it with said Slytherin in the next room.) 

One more quickie: Someone told me that the runaway thing after "Becoming, P2" was to LA, not Cleveland. I believe you, but I already said Cleveland and I'm gonna have to keep it. So :p. 

Enjoy! 

UPDATE: fixed the name thing. It's Kinsey instead of Kelly now. Blame the X-men.

* * *

CHAPTER 5

There was a resounding crack as Tac'an's fist connected with Anise's jaw. "How dare you!? You've known for years where my husband was and you said nothing!" 

Anise's eyes flashed in a very Goa'uld way. "You forget your place, human!" 

"No I don't. My place is beside Teal'c kicking Goa'uld ass all over the galaxy! It is not being your guinea pig! It is not being your puppet! And I don't care who the hell you think you are, keeping me from my husband is the biggest mistake you'll ever make! You don't want me for an enemy, Wormy!" 

Hammond shouted, "Enough! Tac'an, your anger is completely justified, but please don't get violent in this room again. Anise, Martouf, I suggest you start explaining yourselves." Anise sullenly kept quiet. Martouf didn't seem to know what was going on. "Very well, I suggest you leave. Until you feel you can explain this matter, I doubt that we will be able to trust you to be acting in everyone's best interests. This meeting is over." 

Teal'c said, "Is there anything that you will need to retrieve from the Tok'ra base, Tac'an?" 

"Nothing I can't replace." 

Anise growled. "You will regret this, human." Then she stalked out of the room. 

Martouf said, "I'm sorry. I had no idea. When I learn something, I will contact you." He turned to Sam. "Do you have a message for your father?" 

"Just send my love. I'll talk to him the next time he stops by." 

Martouf nodded. "Very well. I hope we will meet again soon." And he turned to go back into the Gate room. 

Jack turned to Teal'c and Tac'an. "So, buddy, who's the lovely lady? Nice right cross by the way." 

Tac'an grinned. "Thanks." 

"She is my wife, Tac'an." 

The blonde sighed. "You know, I think I should clarify a few things. I am Tac'an, but my Mom named me Buffy Anne Summers."

* * *

They had gotten a lot of things brought into the conference room, like sandwiches and coffee. Tac'an had pocketed the Hershey bar and intended to eat it later where she wouldn't be embarrassed by the look of ecstasy that she knew would be on her face. Coffee and chocolate were the two things she had missed the most from Earth, other than friends and family, and everyone understood that. 

Fed and watered, Tac'an sat down next to her husband and began to tell her entire story to the people Teal'c told her that he trusted with his life. "I was born Buffy Anne Summers in Los Angeles on January 30, 1981." Sam looked like she was going to ask a question. "Please, wait 'till I'm finished. It's a long story. I was a pretty normal valley girl 'till I turned fifteen and I met this creepy guy called Merik. See in that universe, vampires and demons aren't just the stuff that parents and Catholics use to scare little kids with. It was real, and somewhere in the past someone came up with a partial solution to the problem. The saying goes like this: 'In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.' When the current slayer dies, the next one is called. Well, the life expectancy of these girls isn't all that much, maybe four years, so you can guess that I wasn't too thrilled when I was called. I wanted my normal life. Eventually I figured that if I didn't fight, no one else would, so I started taking it seriously. I fought so that someone could have a normal life, even if it wasn't me. 

"Cut to, it was my graduation from Sunnydale High, and there it's May, 1999. The Mayor was trying to become a pure demon, which is like dinosaur-sized and much more powerful than any normal demon, but once he actually pulled it off, we knew that he'd be vulnerable again. So we had a plan. He had managed to get everything scheduled so that the graduation ceremony took place just before his transformation was going to start. He had an army of vamps there to keep anyone from escaping his little all-you-can-eat buffet. So I and my friends armed the students with everything from bows and axes to flame throwers. Then I took on the task of dealing with the giant demon snake. 

"I taunted him with something I knew he'd get extra 'kill Buffy' over, so he started chasing me. I led him into the library, which is where the local Hellmouth opened up. That was where we had put the bomb. Then things just went wrong. I tripped over a stack of books. I have no idea how they got there, but when the bomb blew, I was in the path along with Mayor Snake. Only, instead of getting dead, I wake up in the desert outside the First city on Chulak with no idea where I was or how I got there." 

Tac'an paused in her recitation. Sam took the opportunity to sneak in a question. "How long ago was that?" 

"Eighty-five years ago." She took a sip of her coffee, well aware that everyone but Teal'c was giving her weird looks. She ignored them and continued on with her story. "After a while, Bra'tac spotted me while flying sweeps, and he took me back with him to his training camp. I told him and Teal'c my story and they told me how they served this great guy, Apophis. I could tell that Bra'tac didn't buy his own swill about that, but Teal'c was just eighteen and he was all 'Duty and Honor', so we waited 'till he'd gone home for the night, and Bra'tac recruited me into the rebellion. He called me a weapon without a wielder. I needed a purpose. He gave me one. 

"It wasn't until two years later that Bra'tac adopted me, but I'm legally his daughter." 

Daniel broke in. "That's when you got your name changed, right?" 

"Yep. One year later, Dar'teal, Teal'c's father, was murdered right in front of him. And that's when Teal'c joined the rebellion." She shrugged. "You fight, you get close. A couple years later we got married, five years to the day from when I woke up in the sand." 

"Wow. So you two have been married for eighty years? "Funny, you don't look a hundred and three." 

Daniel groaned. "Way to state the obvious, Jack." 

Tac'an grinned. "That's all right. The truth is, I have no idea how come. I haven't aged since I got here. I don't know if it's because of all the mystical shit that was going on around that bomb or if it's a Slayer thing since the age record for Slayers is six years after being called. I'm the exception to so many rules it's not funny." 

Sam sat back, thinking. "So do you think that this is a time travel situation or a parallel universe?" 

Tac'an said, "Definitely parallel.. If it was just time travel, then there would be real demons on this planet, real vampires. Vamps are common enough that I'd have already sensed at least one. There's no way you can be _that_ isolated here. The planet is clean of demons." 

"Can you sense the Goa'uld?" 

To a point, but not really enough to be useful. I can't pinpoint their location. I tell you, trying to work with the Tok'ra over the last sixteen years has been a headache, literally. And now I wish I'd just followed my first instinct and beat the shit out of that woman!" 

Hammond asked the next question. "How did that happen, anyway? And what was Anise doing with you?" 

"Sixteen years ago, Teal'c and I got separated during a fight on Ramak. Someone had ratted on us, because Heru'ur was waiting for us, ready to capture our team. We headed for the Gate, of course, but it was a fight the whole way, and we had to take out as many of the Horus as we could on the way, 'cause that meant fewer to trash on the other side. I love that iris of yours, by the way. Must be satisfying to hear 'em thump on it every once in a while." She stopped, realizing that she was starting to babble a bit. "Anyway, Teal'c was closer to the Gate, so I told him to get out. Once he had got through, I tried to hold off as many as I could from getting through, but one of them managed to get a shot off with a Zat and I went down. 

"When I woke up, it was in a little cage. I can't even call it a cell. Heru'ur tried for about six months to get information out of me, but I've got a pretty high tolerance for pain thanks to the Slayer thing. After a while, I think he got bored and just left me in the hole. Things kind of ran together there for a while, no way to tell day from night." she stopped when she heard Teal'c start growling. "Hey. I'm okay." He looked into her eyes, making sure for himself that she was uninjured. Finally, he just nodded. She kissed his cheek tenderly, which helped to calm him, as it always had. 

Wanting to move on and give Teal'c time to compose himself, Jack said, "What happened next?" 

"Anise ran a tech raid on Heru'ur. She's always raiding the better-equipped System Lords for new toys. She figures they have better resources than any of the Tok'ra, so she uses their own equipment to fight against them. Kind of poetic in one way, but she's kind of showing her snakey roots doing that, too. Not that I actually said that. Her people nursed me back to health, then offered to make me a host to one of the Tok'ra when one of them needed a new body. I just politely declined the offer. I know they didn't mean anything bad about it, but I'm kind of prejudiced against anything trying to share my house like that. I never told them the whole story. I just never could trust them enough. I'm glad I didn't. I think Anise has a bad case of 'Mad Science'ism. She always promised to help me find Teal'c, but she kept putting me off. To be honest, finding myself here today, even before I knew Teal'c was here, I was going to ask you, General, if I could stay. It's at least one kind of home to me." She laughed. "Now I'm staying even if I have to get down on my knees and beg. I don't want to loose Teal'c again." Feeling needy, she burrowed into the strong arms that surrounded her. 

Hammond nodded. "I understand. I'll have to call the President, but it shouldn't be a problem." 

"Who is that these days?" 

"Right now, it's George W. Bush, the first President Bush's son. But it's an election year. The Democratic candidate most likely to get the nomination is Senator Kinsey, and he'll either shut us down or try and turn any advance we find against our more terrestrial enemies." 

Tac'an snorted. "What, the guys in the flying pyramids aren't a big enough problem? I take it this is a top secret thing with the Stargate?" 

Hammond nodded. "Yes it is. Is that going to be a problem?" 

She shook her head. "No. I doubt your average couch potato American is ready to know that their lives hang in the balance like that. Hell, just the public declaration that aliens are real would probably cause all kinds of problems. When my Mom found out I was the Slayer, she freaked out. She tried everything she could think of to get me to stay home that night, including telling me that if I left the house I couldn't come back. But a vampire named Angelus was literally trying to end the world. I couldn't afford to try and stay behind to explain things to her. I left, did what I had to, and caught a bus to Cleveland once it was done. Kind of had a break down. So you really don't have to worry about me spilling to the press." 

"Damn. Did you ever catch a break in your life?" Jack hated to think of such a young woman dealing with the things that Buffy Summers had. And he knew she hadn't told them everything. Not that he thought she had to. 

But she smiled. "Yeah. Meeting Teal'c and Bra'tac has always been the best thing that ever happened to me. And don't feel too sorry for Buffy. I'm not that little girl any more. And now things are as perfect as they get for me. I was beginning to think I'd never find Teal'c again. And now I'm sitting here in a comfy chair with coffee and chocolate and my wonderful husband. Life is good!" 

All the Earth people laughed at that. Teal'c just hugged her tighter, and she could tell that he needed to get her alone and fall apart a little bit. Or a lot. 

Hammond could see the desperate look that Teal'c was trying to suppress, so he said, "All right, I think that's enough for now. Colonel, you give me your report in one hour. Other than that, SG-1 is on leave for the next week. Tac'an, it's been good to meet you. Whenever you and Teal'c are ready, you can go to Chulak and visit with Bra'tac. I'm sure he's missed you. SG-1, you're dismissed."

* * *

_Reviews please! _


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: See Prologue and Chapter 5. _

A/N: Hopefully this chapter answers some more questions.

* * *

CHAPTER 6

Tac'an woke next to her husband somewhere in the middle of the second day, feeling more complete than she had in years. Sixteen long and lonely years. Of course, they had worn each other out last night. It was only natural. And she strongly doubted that any of the people on this base expected to see either of them for at least forty-eight hours. They were soldiers. They understood. 

She opened her eyes to find deep pools of chocolate staring back at her. She smiled. "How long have you been watching me sleep?" 

"I do not know. There is no sun this deep within the mountain, and I did not look at the clock." 

"So a while, then." 

"Yes." He sighed, his arms tightening around her. "I have missed you greatly, beloved." 

"Me too. How come you didn't tell them?" 

"When DanielJackson's wife was taken to be a host for Apophis's queen, he was forced to speak to a doctor who treats mental illnesses. I did not wish to be forced to speak to a stranger concerning my private emotions." 

"You think they would have made you see the shrink for something you'd already been dealing with for years?" 

"I did not wish to take that risk." 

Tac'an shrugged. It didn't matter now. She changed the subject. "You know, I thought I'd have to break away from the Tok'ra some day, but I didn't think it'd be for this. On the whole, their methods stink. I guess I should have gotten curious when Anise wouldn't let me get to know many of them." 

"There are three Tok'ra who are also Tau'ri, one of whom is Major Carter's father." 

She snorted. "Well that explains that. She even told me that Apophis had destroyed Chulak's Stargate. That's why I didn't just go find Bra'tac. And she never let me pilot one of their ships. Now I know she was lying and I wish I'd done more than just deck her." 

Teal'c nodded. "I doubt she will ever cross our paths intentionally again. She has angered everyone in the mountain, but it is we two she would have to defend herself from." 

"Yep." She stretched her legs out, working the muscles a bit. "You ready for a shower?" Teal'c grinned at her. "Ooo, I think he wants to share!" 

He chuckled. "I do."

* * *

Jack still couldn't believe the kinds of secrets that Teal'c had been keeping from the team, but he could understand not wanting to talk about it. Which didn't mean he had any intention of not peppering the both of them with questions, but he'd let them have at least four days first, two with each other and two with Bra'tac. Once they came back after that, though, he, Danny and Sam were all going to play twenty questions with their favorite Jaffa and his old lady. Pun intended. And wasn't _that_ just a kick in the head! 

Still, despite those intentions, he fully expected Teal'c and Tac'an to not get out of bed for at least two days. Instead, when he went to the gym to work out some of the kinks in his back, he found the floor cleared and the two of them sparring, surrounded by soldiers and both looking like they were enjoying themselves immensely. 

Daniel and Sam saw him come in and waved him over to where they were seated on a workout bench. It looked like they had gotten the best seats in the house in what had become a standing-room-only event. And it was going to prove very enlightening. 

There were no weapons. Teal'c fought in the ic Chulaki , something that Jack had only rarely caught a glimpse of since there was no time for in a battlefield. Tac'an was all over the map, handling the deadly dance with a grace and polish that were quite a sight to see. Her was heavily influenced by the Chulaki Jaffa she had been trained with for most of her life, but she had so many wild cards that she was impossible to predict. Whatever she'd had when she was eighteen-year-old Buffy Summers had blended seamlessly with the Chulaki into a completely unique and fluid hodgepodge. And she was most definitely winning this fight, something that no one on Earth had ever done in hand-to-hand. 

Teal'c pinned her at one point, and it looked like he might have gained the upper hand, but he had left himself vulnerable between the legs. It shouldn't have been a weakness, not when it was his wife beneath him. She would never want to injure that particular area of his body. But Tac'an was inventive, and horny to boot. She didn't knee him, as she would have done a soldier, but moved her knee slowly against him, getting an entirely different, if equally effective, reaction. He was distracted enough that she was able to push him off and roll out from under him. Daniel was grinning and blushing as he called out, "Isn't that cheating?" 

Without taking her eyes off of her opponent as they circled, Tac'an grinned and said, "Love and war." 

Teal'c grinned, having heard this line from her before. "And everything in between." 

Jack just laughed. "No wonder he always looked at me funny for the way I talk." 

Tac'an shouted back to him as she and Teal'c engaged again. "Oh, it used to be much worse." Teal'c charged her and she stepped aside, throwing him over her shoulder to the mat. "Southern California, remember?" He got out of the way before she could pin him. 

Sam said, "And you've lived without the mall for eighty-five years? Must have been horrible for you." 

The Slayer ducked under a punch. "Nah." Then she threw one of her own, catching Teal'c in the ribs. "The first few months were murder, though." Teal'c went down, but he swept at her legs as Sam started laughing at the comment. 

Daniel popped off. "Yay, another shoe hound." 

"Ooo, lookie! (ducking a kick to the head) It's Xander in a nerd suit!" She flipped backwards, catching him in the jaw with her left foot as she went over. 

"Xander?" 

"Sorry. Sunnydale, of '99." 

She'd never missed a beat during the fight, despite the distraction of conversation, but for the most part Teal'c had kept up with her. But she finally got behind him, leaping to his back the moment she could and wrapping her legs tightly around her husband's waist. Then she bent over backwards, quickly enough that her own momentum caused him to bend with her, and before he could stop her, she had her hands on the floor, gripping the mat. She flipped him over her body, sending him flying into a nearby wall. Soldiers had to scatter to avoid being hit by his body. He crumpled to the ground, and after about a second, he could be heard to call "A'gai!" It was the equivalent of saying Uncle. He'd never had to utter it on Earth. But then, only Tac'an and Bra'tac had ever made him say it. 

Jack summed the whole thing up rather nicely. "Sweet!"

* * *

Tac'an took a deep breath of the desert air as they walked into the city, the scent spelling "home" to her in a way no other ever had. Teal'c smelled like that, too. Bra'tac was there to greet them. She ran up to him and flung her arms around him. "Papai!" 

Bra'tac hugged her back, remembering the first time she had called him that, so uncharacteristically shy. He had missed his daughter greatly, and now she had been delivered home to him. "Tac'an! I am very relieved that you are safe!" He just held her for a moment, then held her away from himself, looking at her. "Come! We celebrate tonight!" He hugged her again briefely, then turned to go into the city, Teal'c following and putting his arm around his wife." 

That night, as the party wound down, the family sat around the fire, talking about Tac'an's long absence. Bra'tac said, "But why did you not return to Chulak on your own?" 

"Anise told me the Gate was destroyed, and they do not allow humans to pilot their ships. And Anise can be very persuasive. I was a fool and believed everything she told me until I saw direct proof of her lies." Angry with her self, Tac'an growled. "God, I was such an idiot!" Teal'c put his arm around her shoulders, silently comforting her. 

"Are all the Tok'ra like her?" 

"No, but their methods still stink. They sneak around too much. I mean, a lot of Jaffa in the rebellion sneak around, but they aren't so..." She searched for the right word. 

Teal'c said, "DanielJackson calls them Machiavellian." 

"Yeah, that's it. They don't care who they hurt as long as they get what they want. I mean, their goals are good and right, but they just mow people over on the way to accomplishing them." 

Bra'tac sat back thoughtfully. After a moment, he said, "They are in danger of becoming that which they hate." 

Teal'c nodded. "So it would seem. But the Tau'ri may not be able to afford the risk of loosing their alliance. They are far too strong an ally. Earth needs the technology that the Tok'ra have. Otherwise, they may die if another System Lord tries to take Earth." 

Tac'an thought about it for a moment. "I know it's that way right now, but I doubt it always will be. Humans have a habit of surprising other races. Hell, they surprise other humans most of the time! The human race has, in just the last century and a half, improved their technology more than in the previous ten thousand. Everything else has been left in the dust. I'm willing to bet that they'll figure out hyperdrive within the next fifty years if they have an example. You told me that you and Colonel O'Neill almost died when someone tried to hybridize American and Goa'uld planes. But that was just because Apophis had booby-trapped the glider. That won't be there when Earth science figures out the engine for itself, and you'll have a fully functioning fleet on your hands just a decade or so later. Within the next century, Earth will stand on its own in this fight." 

Bra'tac nodded. "I have read some of their history, which DanielJackson generously translated for me. I believe that you are right. But they must survive until that time. They still need the Tok'ra for now." 

She sighed. "You're right. I just wish Hammond could afford to tell Anise just to stuff it." 

Teal'c rubbed her arm. "I believe that General Hammond will forbid Anise herself from returning to Earth, but not the rest of the Tok'ra. Indeed, I believe Major Carter would miss her father if he could not come to Earth." 

"You're right. It's just frustrating." 

"Colonel O'Neill often says the same thing." 

Tac'an grinned. "Yeah, he doesn't seem like the type to take much of their shit. He's a straight-forward kind of guy." 

"So he is."

* * *

When they got back to Earth, Tac'an was indulging the Buffy side of her personality with Sam. Dr. Frasier had wanted to join them with her daughter, Cassie, but she was dealing with some major injuries in SG-15 and 16, so they would have to be on the next trip. 

Her fashion sense wasn't too out of date, despite the fact that she had missed five years of fashion changes, so she just bought what she liked. They hit a Denver mall like a freight train, buying clothes and shoes and makeup for when she was on Earth. Chocolate was also high on the list of things to grab. They looked around a knife shop, but when Tac'an saw a knife that looked like the one the Mayor had given to Faith, she had shivered and had to leave the shop. Sam looked at her questioningly. "Bad memories." 

They spent a lot in the gourmet coffee shop, as well, including a package of seeds. The plants didn't like a lot of different kinds of soil, so it was a long shot, but if she could get the beans to grow on Chulak, she would never have to worry about running out of coffee again, not to mention that it would make her very popular around the city. She wouldn't have to import seed for too long either if they liked the sandy soil around the river. 

She knew that she was preparing for the worst, but she was nervous about her upcoming meeting with the President. She was afraid that he wouldn't let her stay on Earth, so she would have to go back to Chulak. Teal'c couldn't be expected to leave SG-1 just for her, so she was close to panicking. 

Sam noticed. "don't worry, Tac'an. I sincerely doubt that the President would kick you out. You would be a valuable addition to our team." 

"They won't let me be on Teal'c's team, will they." 

"I don't know." Her thoughts turned to Jack, sadly. "You're both technically civilians, so they might not care." 

Tac'an didn't live to be a hundred and three years old and not learn to read people, well, humans and Jaffa, anyway. "Jack?" 

Sam grimaced and nodded. _Well if GW lets me stay, maybe I can talk to him about that.

* * *

Reviews please! _


	8. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: See Prologue and Chapter 5. _

A/N: I hope no one has been turned off of this story because I've used Bush. I'm not trying to sway anyone's opinions here. I happen to like him. And I think that no matter your political opinion, if you're an SG-1 fan, you'd prefer to see Bush in there than Kinsey. This story is fiction, even fictional politics, but not real politics. I'm saying this now because this chapter has Bush featured rather prominently. Remember, the man might not actually be like this. I'm guessing here. 

In the last chapter, during the sparring scene, the FF.net system cut a few things out that made it look rather choppy. I'm going to reprint the abused chapter here and see if it does the same thing. It should say "classic" not "ic" and all of the word "style" should be back. If not, or if it takes them out of this chapter too, I'm lodging a complaint. 

There were no weapons. Teal'c fought in the classic Chulaki style, something that Jack had only rarely caught a glimpse of since there was no time for style in a battlefield. Tac'an was all over the map, handling the deadly dance with a grace and polish that were quite a sight to see. Her style was heavily influenced by the Chulaki Jaffa she had been trained with for most of her life, but she had so many wild cards that she was impossible to predict. Whatever she'd had when she was eighteen-year-old Buffy Summers had blended seamlessly with the Chulaki into a completely unique and fluid hodgepodge. And she was most definitely winning this fight, something that no one on Earth had ever done in hand-to-hand. 

_There it is. We'll see how it comes out when I update this thing. _

I've changed history here again. I haven't seen enough of the newer episodes to deal with the Jaffa rebellion as it is in the series. For my story, SG-1 have only dealt with a few, all from Chulak. Part of the problem would be that I don't tend to watch anything after they offed Daniel, even if they did bring him back, and a bit before that my cable service was screwing around, so I'm missing key pieces. So I ignore the whole problem and make things up as I go along. Please remember the AU sticker! 

Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 7

The President of the United States sat in the head chair in the conference room, two secret service men behind him and extra marines posted throughout the room, listening to Martouf and Selmak's proposals for additions to their alliance with the U.S. Tac'an and Bra'tac had also been invited into the meeting to forge a similar alliance with the U.S. The Tok'ra would be given information, but not at the same rate as the Tau'ri. The Jaffa and Tac'an didn't trust the resistance enough, given Anise's treatment of the Slayer and Tac'an's observations of their methodology, and there would be certain very specific restrictions if they wanted anything at all. 

Selmak said, "I was not aware that the Jaffa were to be a part of this alliance, as well. Not that I'm complaining, but I'm curious as to why we were not informed." 

Looking at General Hammond for permission, Tac'an answered him. "It's a pretty recent development. I'm the one who proposed it, but since my adopted father is the leader of the rebels on Chulak, I was able to get him to agree to this meeting." 

Martouf said, "You are young and impulsive. How are we to know that this decision was well thought out?" 

Tac'an chuckled. "When you've lived for two millennia, everyone is young and impulsive, I guess. But let me put your minds at ease. I haven't looked my age for eighty-five years. And before you ask, I don't know why or how. Believe me, I know for a fact that Chulak will benefit from being allied with Earth, and they have much to offer the United States in the form of intelligence." 

Selmak's head lowered, allowing Jacob Carter to come to the fore. "You're not a Jaffa, are you." 

"Nope, but I'll do the show and tell on my story later. Let's stick to the stuff at hand, 'kay?" 

Jacob snorted. To an American, she sounded immature, but she had used the language patterns of her youth to undeniably identify her as American bred, probably from California. A good strategy, and Jacob was a strategist, so he appreciated it. "Sure. What do both Earth and the Tok'ra have to gain from the Chulaki rebellion?" 

Bra'tac answered this time. "For the past three hundred years, we have been systematically sabotaging Goa'uld shipyards and factories. We have a spy network in place in the form of hundreds of Jaffa in their normal positions within the army of Heru'ur since he took over Apophis's holdings after the Tau'ri and I killed him. They are in place to hear of the relations between System Lords, of ship and troop movements. Nothing changes when a Jaffa joins our rebellion. They continue to hold the same place they always have, as removing them would loose us valuable information and raise suspicion. We have the information that the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra need." 

President Bush said, "And what will you be wanting in return?" 

Tac'an, since she had the best idea of what both groups had to offer, was the one who would be doing the negotiations. "From the U.S. we need some basics. Heru'ur apparently leaves the planet Chulak alone. He's been there exactly once to pick up a few troops, and he left no one behind to 'manage the property', as it were, so we have an opportunity to improve quality of life there on a major scale so the people there can start moving on with their lives. We don't need too much. A couple of doctors to come in and check people over, as well as teach some things to the midwives and the healers would be wonderful. So would a couple of engineers to help build more wells and an irrigation system. Maybe a couple of years worth of certain seeds. I don't know what crops would be best, but food things, and cotton if it will grow. I already have a little package of coffee seeds that I planted. I'm hoping that they'll actually grow there, and if so, that will be one of the things we'll ask for. And cocoa beans. But those two are optional. If the coffee and cocoa grow well, we'll use them for trade most likely. We're not asking for a rebuild of our society. Chulak has, despite the Goa'uld, developed a rich culture and has the makings of a good government. If we weren't afraid that some day Heru'ur would actually take an interest in us, we'd just pack up and move out of the desert to more hospitable areas. But that's not an option as long as he's a threat." 

"And what would you ask of the Tok'ra for sharing the same information?" 

Tac'an's face hardened. "Not much. We have access to the technologies of the Goa'uld, same as you, and I'm willing to bet our spy network is better. You won't get everything like we'll give to Earth, because we don't frankly trust you. What I've seen of your people, I can't. So we won't ask for as much in return, either. All we want from you is non-interference. And I don't ever want to see Anise again. She doesn't set foot on Earth or Chulak. If I see her, I'm likely to damage her. After all, I'm just a primitive human." That last was said with a sneer. 

Jacob sighed. "What did she want with you, anyway?" 

The Slayer shrugged. "Mad scientist. She was trying to figure a few things out about me, I'm guessing, things like why I don't age and why I'm stronger than a Jaffa, when I'm only human." 

Bush said, "You want surprisingly little for what will be a great service." 

She shrugged again. "We'd be doing the same thing. I fight the Goa'uld because it's the right thing to do. The Jaffa fight to free themselves and because their gods betrayed them. We'll be doing this whether you agree to the alliance or not. We just want a little help out of the hole Apophis dug for us if we share like good little kindergarteners." 

Everyone in the room from Earth chuckled, including the President. "Well, I think we're getting the better end of this deal, but if this is what you want, I'll certainly agree to it." 

Martouf nodded. "Agreed." 

Tac'an fixed him with a glare. "Just remember, I catch the smallest glimpse of Anise, and I get a brand new dance card, and your name is at the very top." 

Jacob turned his head so Martouf wouldn't see him trying to smother his laughter as the other Tok'ra visibly swallowed before nodding again. Within him, Selmak said, _I like this girl. _

You and me both.

* * *

Martouf left the meeting after they had all signed the new treaty, but Selmak stayed behind, both she and Jacob wanting to learn more about Tac'an along with President Bush. They listened to her story with interest, laughing often at her bouts of Southern Californian slang, and wondering along with everyone else if they would ever have the full story of her arrival in this universe. All of SG-1 was present for the story again, and true to form, Sam had found another question to ask. "Since you're here, then I wonder why you haven't been having problems with temporal entropic cascade failure like my double did." 

Tac'an raised her hand as if she were in a classroom. "Um flunked science when the teacher got eaten." They all looked at her. "Story later. Explain please." 

Sam shook her head in bewilderment. "Right. Well, we've encountered alternate universes before. When the same person from two different universes end up in the same one, physics tries to smash them together, causing a cascade failure all the way down at the cellular level. It would eventually kill the double and leave the native alive. When the Buffy Summers of our universe was born, you should have started having problems." 

Bush wasn't unintelligent and had no problem following the explanation. "Well, how close are the two? After all, they are eighty years off. Maybe the same people don't exist in both." 

But Tac'an shook her head. "No. They're close enough for me to remember your dad when he was President." 

Daniel seemed to remember something. "What was your Watcher's name again?" 

"Rupert Giles." 

"Damn." Daniel leaned back in his chair. "Rupert Giles is the current curator of the British Museum. He was one of the only people in the field of antiquities that didn't try to laugh me out of the profession for suggesting that someone other than the Egyptians built the pyramid at Giza. Said he had noticed a few discrepancies himself." 

Tac'an smiled. Without the need to become a Watcher, in this universe he had had never had to deal with the constant danger. He got to remain in Tweedville, and she was glad. 

Sam shrugged. "I suppose we could just look up your parents." 

She snorted. "Better just look up Mom. Hank wasn't exactly around, and I don't really see him being that different in any universe."

* * *

Bush had granted Tac'an citizenship based on the fact that she had, in fact, been born in the United States, even if it wasn't in this universe, and he had also granted it to Teal'c based on their marriage. They had thanked him profusely, but he had minimized the action. "It's only right." 

Once the paperwork had been signed, General Hammond asked Tac'an if she would want a job as a hand-to-hand combat instructor within Cheyenne Mountain. Word of her spectacular sparring session with Teal'c had gotten around, and he knew that she would do a great job. She took the job on a part-time basis, giving a crash course once per month, provided she wasn't off-world. After all, she was still a part of the rebellion and she had a lot of work to do. 

There was celebration when first the doctors and then the engineers came through the Stargate and onto Chulak. The doctors had plenty of people lined up to be in their classes. The agricultural engineers drew the attention of the few farmers, who all saw the promise of changing the face of the desert surrounding the city. The green oasis which surrounded the Stargate was fairly extensive, but no one really felt comfortable living very near it. They stuck to the desert instead of traveling in the other direction for fear of the Goa'uld chasing them down and destroying anything they might build. Desert dwelling sauropoids called _gornaks_, which resembled the large herbivorous dinosaurs of Earth but had three pairs of limbs rather than two and large, shovel-shaped heads, were used as plow beasts, pulling plows and hauling people and materials. They could, in fact, be trained to dig a trench themselves, as they did in the wild to hide from sandstorms, and this talent was used to dig for irrigation. 

New recruits to the SGC were all required to take Tac'an's course, since she could give them defensive techniques against both Jaffa and Goa'uld. Of course, she had to show each new class who was boss because they saw an eighteen-year-old 5'2" little girl, not a seasoned warrior. Feretti had started keeping book with Jack and several others as to who would be the first (and last) troublemaker in each class. It served to pad Feretti's pockets and provide plenty of entertainment for the base. 

November came and everyone waited with baited breath, praying for Bush's reelection, not wanting to either work for Kinsey or for the project to be shut down or turned over to the NID. Teal'c and Tac'an were packed just in case, knowing that the NID could already have orders that would be carried out in January on Inauguration Day if they didn't get out. He was the biggest problem the SGC had at the moment, and with the political climate, anything could happen. There was no clear favorite in the polls. It was going to come down to the last vote count. 

Bush was reelected by a very narrow margin, though the mess in Florida from the previous election was thankfully not repeated. The entire SGC broke out the champagne and sparkling cider in celebration, the cider going to those who either didn't or couldn't drink. There was celebration on several worlds, in fact, as the news was broadcast to off-world teams through the Stargate. Thanks to this election, they knew that, at least for the next four years, their jobs and the Stargate program were secure. And Teal'c and Tac'an didn't have to leave Earth. 

Things were going well. It made Tac'an nervous, old instincts from her days living in Sunnydale telling her that the good days were always followed by very bad days, and nights, and nearly a century's experience in battle agreed with those instincts. Something else would have to happen. She just didn't know when.

* * *

_Please don't flame me on the political thing. Reviews are good! _


	9. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: The President will make no more personal appearances in this story (I think). He may be around later for some official functions, but I haven't got that far yet. There are a few other crises to deal with first. You know how things go. Life just can't go smoothly! (big evil grin) 

I can't believe how many reviews there are! I looked this morning and the counter said 97! That is just so cool! I want to thank everyone, even those who had to gripe at me! 

To kagome-chan: I swear I wrote this chapter three days ago. Are you psychic or something? 

Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 8

As the next year began, Tac'an hid her birthday, as every time she had celebrated it since she was called as the Slayer something bad had happened. Superstitious, perhaps, but she thought it paid to be cautious. 

Early in February of 2005, a new break-in class, which is what Feretti had taken to calling Tac'an's class in hand-to-hand techniques, was ready to begin and SG-1 had been pulled off active duty for the week so that she could teach it. She was looking over the class with Jack and Feretti just before going in and her eyes landed on one man in particular. Her jaw nearly hit the floor as she recognized him. Xander! "Feretti, what's the public file say about that last one on the left?" 

He flipped through the pages. "Alexander Harris, Airman 1st Class. Several commendations, experienced in leadership situations." 

She just shook her head. "Graduated Sunnydale Highschool, Sunnydale, California, Class of 1999." She grinned. "Do yourself a favor, Feretti. Don't bet against him." 

Knowing that there was no way she could have seen the file from where she was standing, Feretti was about to ask her how she knew that, but as she went into the training room, Jack remembered. "She once called Daniel 'Xander in a nerd costume.'" It's someone from her past's double. Like she said, don't bet against him." Still, this was interesting in the extreme. What were the chances? 

Tac'an was introduced as a civilian instructor to the class by Jack, and then the Colonel left the room to watch with everyone else who was betting on the first class of the season. She walked to the middle of the row of soldiers. "First, let me say welcome. You've already signed those nifty little papers that say you won't talk to the press about what you learn here, so I don't have to tell you that. What I'm here to tell you is whatever you've faced on this planet, you ain't seen nothin' yet. I'm here to show you some of what you're going to face out there." 

One of the soldiers popped off immediately. "Yeah, and what can you teach us, alien fashion tips?" 

The Xander double rolled his eyes and whispered, "Idiot," under his breath." 

Glad that she had been right about this version of her old friend, Tac'an approached her heckler. "Well, Airman Cole, if that was what you were here for, I most certainly could. But you're here to learn how to fight the most dangerous enemy that this planet has ever faced. And let me assure you, if you don't pay attention here, you will regret it. Now since you seem so sure of your self, why don't you tell us why you seem to think this class is such a waste of your time." 

Cole raised an eyebrow at her. What can a little girl like you teach seasoned soldiers about fighting ma'am?" 

She grinned, then came at him. Harris, who had been watching her closely, got out of her way in time to avoid being accidentally pummeled. Tac'an was on Cole so quickly that he didn't even put up a defense. She had him in a sleeper hold within seconds. "First, I think I can teach you to never underestimate your opponent. Second, I can teach you to assume nothing." She held him tightly as he struggled, continuing to speak over his thrashing. "Third, I can teach you that size, gender and hair color have nothing to do with a fighter's competence. And fourth, once you've taken your head out of your ass, I can teach you how to defend yourself against the Jaffa, which are the Goa'uld's primary fighters, because I've been fighting them for most of my life. There's nothing more dangerous than a religious fanatic, and that's what most Jaffa are unless they have joined the rebellion. And there's no way to tell if that's the case so you have to assume that's not the case. Now, Airman, are you ready to learn what I'm here to teach you?" 

Slightly strangled, Cole said, "Yes." Tac'an released him, flipping backwards to stand up in a ready position in case Cole's head was thicker than usual. But Cole showed some sense and just rubbed his neck. She turned to Harris. "Why did you move?" 

Harris smirked. "I had a friend in highschool who runs a major software company now. She was always such a shy girl, 'til she found a really great guy. He gave her some confidence and when people underestimated her after that she always made them regret it. The skills that make her such a great programmer also make her a spectacular hacker, and she could do some nasty things to people's personal finances. Totally reversible, of course, but after that, they usually got the point. Bottom line, the Air Force is not stupid. Someone who looks like you do would not be in this position if they were not very scary." 

She grinned at him. "Smart man. What's your friend's name?" As if she didn't know. It could only be Willow. 

"Willow Ozborne, CEO of Hecate Software Productions." 

Tac'an nodded, carefully hiding her reactions. Willow had married Oz. And from the name of the company, she was a witch in this universe as she was in the last. Just how strong _were_ the mystical forces of this universe?

* * *

"Major Carter, I just don't know how this hacker could be getting past all of our safe guards to access the mainframes. None of the regular passwords were used. It was a back door that the original programmer left in the system. Only the programmer could have had it." 

Tac'an was in the lab because she wanted Sam to help her go over some of the training schedules to make sure they didn't cause any scheduling conflicts, and Harris had followed her, since he was trying to get her to teach him some of her more advanced techniques before the rest of the class. He had proved particularly adept at this style of fighting, for some reason and he was eager to learn. He saw the screen that Major Carter's lab tech was fussing over. His eyes narrowed. "Major Carter?" 

"Yes Airman?" 

"Um, who did the programming on these systems?" 

Sam looked at him with a questioning gaze. "Hecate Software. Why?" Tac'an turned around and stood in the doorway, facing away from Harris so he wouldn't see her trying desperately not to laugh. 

"Damned girl! Not you, ma'am. Can I borrow your phone?" Sam handed him the cordless receiver, her curiosity peaked. He dialed an eleven-digit number and waited for the other end to pick up. 

_"Hello?"_

"Willow, are you _trying_ to get arrested?" 

_"Xander!? Where are you calling from?"_

"Yes, Xander. And I'm calling from the room where the computers you're trying to hack into are sitting." 

_"Uh oh."_

"Yeah, Willow. Hacking computers belonging to the Air Force is not smart, my friend, and I know you're a smart girl. You've got to stop checking on me like this! It's going to get us both into trouble!" 

_"But I worry about you! You never tell me where you are!"_

"I don't tell you where I go because it's usually so classified no one can go to the bathroom without authorization! I know you worry, but you've got to trust me, Will. I know what I'm doing, and I'm very careful. Now, I'm giving them Oz's firewall code." 

_"But..."_

"No, Will. You have to stop. You're in serious trouble here. You can probably expect someone to pay you a visit soon. Good bye, Willow." He hung up. 

Sam just stared at him for a moment. "I take it your friend likes to keep tabs on you?" 

"Yeah, and she's too damned good with computers. Her husband gave me a kill code to put into any firewall system to keep her out. She likes secrets too much to give this place away, so there isn't really anything to worry about with her. Oz tries to look over her shoulder and keep her out of places she shouldn't be, but he has to sleep some time." He sighed. "Change the password on the firewall to 'frogs'." 

"Frogs?" 

"Yeah, she has a fear of frogs." 

"She's probably going to get in trouble over this." 

"Yeah, I know." 

Curious, Tac'an asked, "How did you know it was her?" 

He pointed to the screen that was displaying what Willow had been trying to hack. "The codes form a picture if you stand back far enough to see it, one of the symbols used in Wiccan ceremonies. She puts magic into every program she writes, including her back doors, which she leaves as a precaution in every one of them. This one just means 'opening'. She's a Wicca, and whether or not you believe the magic is real, she's probably worked some pretty strong spells into these systems to protect them." 

The tech frowned. "If this stuff is supposed to work so well, then why didn't it keep out that one virus? The one that tried to shut down the entire SGC? The sentient one?" 

Sam shook her head in bewilderment. "We got these systems upgraded by Hecate Software after that incident, because of it in fact." 

Tac'an just chuckled. _Never let Willow into a place that you don't want her to be able to get back into._

* * *

Willow and Daniel Ozborne, the leaders of one of the top security software companies in the industry, sat in the debriefing room, waiting patiently, if nervously, for someone to arrive. They were both surprised when Xander came into the room first, but he was quickly followed by two other Air Force officers, a Major and a General. Willow shrunk even further into her chair. 

Xander stayed at attention until the General said, "At ease, Airman." 

Willow said, "He didn't get into any trouble, did he?" 

Hammond's hard face softened just a little. "No, Mrs. Ozborne. Airman Harris is not being blamed for this incident. He is in fact being credited with stopping it before it had gone too far. You did not, in fact, breach any top secret files, which is why we're having this conversation here instead of a holding cell." 

Xander said, "Request permission to speak freely, sir." 

"Granted." 

He rounded on Willow. "What the hell were you thinking!? Hacking NORAD must be the stupidest, most brilliant thing you've ever done!" 

Willow perked up a bit. "Stupidest _and_ most brilliant?" 

The Major, Carter by her name tag answered her. "Because of your actions, we've realized that we need a strong programmer on base to prevent this kind of occurence. You're the best in the business, and Airman Harris assures us that the only reason you did it in the first place was concern for his well being. Given the condition that you stay out of any other government systems and that both you and your husband sign nondisclosure agreements stating that you will not reveal to anyone what you see on this base or in its computers, I've been authorized to hire you as a civilian consultant to this base." 

Willow's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really?"

* * *

LONDON, ENGLAND, BRITISH MUSEUM... 

Rupert Giles was in a panic. The robbery had been well planned and executed. The thieves had known exactly what they wanted and where it was stored, and they had gotten in and out of the museum within minutes. The three artifacts they had stolen were not worth much, a couple thousand pounds all told. There were far more expensive, more easily accessed items in the museum. But what they had taken, if combined with knowledge and will, could bring about an age of unparalleled darkness over the Earth. 

With trembling fingers, he dialed the number of Hecate Software in America. One of the most powerful witches in centuries, whom he'd had the pleasure of instructing in history once upon a time at Oxford, was Willow Ozborne, and she was going to be needed to help stop this from coming. God help them all if it wasn't enough.

* * *

_Review please! _


	10. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

Sorry about the wait! I've had an interesting week around here. Just a word of warning: this chapter is not the beginning of the Big Bad. There will be plenty of other messes after this one! 

Hey! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! One hundred and ten! 

Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 9

Willow showed up at the SGC in a panic, trying to find Xander. She found Tac'an. "Where's Xander?" She leaned against the door frame of the gym, trying to catch her breath. "I have to find him! I need his help!" 

"What is it, Willow? Is it his Aunt?" In this universe, Xander had been the only survivor of the car crash that had killed his parents. He had then been raised by a distant relation Joyce Williams, who he called Aunt Joy. Aunt Joy had never married Hank Summers and had never had any children of her own, so she had spoiled the little boy a bit, but she'd always been proud of how he turned out. Since Tac'an should have had a little Buffy look-alike that had never been born because there was already one here, she had become a bit protective of the woman. Xander had appreciated it, even if he didn't understand it. 

"No, this is bigger than that!" 

"Calm down, Will. Now what's wrong?" 

"I've got to find Xander!" 

"He's off-world right now. SG-15 should be back in two days." Tac'an forced the girl to look her in the eye. "Tell me what's wrong." 

Willow looked right at her. "Do you believe in magic?"

* * *

Tac'an dragged Willow into Daniel's office. "Daniel, are you willing to believe in Rupert Giles like he believed in you?" 

Daniel looked up from the text he had been reading. "What's this about?" 

"Magic, both good and bad." 

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And you believe in magic?" She just looked at him, reminding him without a word of the universe she had come from. "Stupid question. But I thought you said you'd never sensed anything like that in this universe." 

"Demons. I've never sensed any demons in this universe. That doesn't mean anything about magic. I never could sense magic." 

He groaned. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what's going on?" 

"Somewhere along the line, my old universe diverged from this one in some crucial ways. It caused eighty years to just disappear, it caused the death or isolation of the Goa'uld, and it caused the first Hellmouth to be opened in the heart of Africa. That sounds pretty catastrophic to me. And Giles just now called up his old student Willow because a set of ancient stone tablets and a couple of other items were just stolen from the British Museum, things that would create that same catastrophe here." 

Fully alert, Daniel said, "What was on the tablets?" 

Willow answered him. "Four different languages were described, languages that haven't ever been seen anywhere else on the planet. But along the bottom of each was an inscription that was added on in ancient Egyptian hieratic. It says, 'Here lay those most dangerous deeds which were prevented by the coming of our Lord, Amun Ra. In his enslavement lay our salvation, for these would have opened the depths of Hell itself into this world. May His curse be our blessing and let these deeds never come to pass on this Earth.'" 

"But what does it mean? It obviously refers to the first coming of Ra and his enslavement of the human race, but how could that have been a blessing? What did he prevent?" 

"We don't know for sure." 

"But," Tac'an said, "If Ra had come to Earth in my universe, then the Hellmouth would never have been opened. This sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Literally." 

Daniel gaped at her. A recipe for opening the first Hellmouth? "I think we need to call a meeting." 

"Will, call Giles. See if you can get him to hop the redeye on the Concord. I'll pay his ticket. I'll never spend half the money they're paying me anyway." 

Daniel stood. "And I'll get the General to clear it." 

Grimly, Tac'an thought, _Suddenly all the Scoobies-that-aren't are being pulled into my world by the threat of an apocalypse. Why do I think Destiny just caught up to me again?_

* * *

All of SG-1 and the civillan consultants, as well as Dr. Rupert Giles, Airman Harris, and General Hammond were gathered in the conference room. Giles had signed the non-disclosure agreements with no problems, and he'd brought the rubbings the museum'd had on file of the stolen tablets. Daniel, as the resident linguist was given the rubbings to see if he could make heads or tails of them, and he surprised everyone by coming up with an answer immediately. "These were dine in the four languages of the Ancient Alliance. The Ancients, who built the Stargate network, the Furlings, the Nox and..." 

Jack finished. "And the Asgard." 

Wordlessly, Daniel passed the rubbing that was reminiscent of Norse alphabets over to Jack. When he'd received that strange download, he hadn't retained much, but he could still read their written language, as Daniel couldn't yet. Giles was looking very confused, so Daniel just said, "They've met." 

There was no time for explanations. The story could be told later. Jack started reading aloud, and Daniel was ready wit a pen and pad. "Combine these three devices; the tablets, the Nexus, and the Platform. The Nexus is the center. The Tablets are the sides. The Platform is the base. They will combine with the forces of the moon when it is hidden within the shadow of the Earth to create a great Portal into a new and marvelous place, which may be studied to tell us a great many things. None may say with any surety what lies within that world, but it may hold the key to the saving of the Asgard." 

Tac'an couldn't believe the ignorance of that statement. Someone hadn't had a clue what they were messing with. "Okay, first, what's the Asgard's problem and have they solved it since this thing was made?" 

Daniel answered. "They've been cloning for so long that they're starting to loose genetic integrity. It's like Xeroxing a Xerox; you loose definition over time until you can't even tell what the original was." 

The Slayer frowned. But Willow spoke first. "And they thought Hell was a good place to look for answers?" 

Jack snorted. "Not they." He pointed to a certain sigil. "Is that mark not on every one of these things?" 

Daniel looked. He was right! "Yes it is. It's Loki's isn't it." 

Giles spoke next. "Loki? The Norse God of Mischief?" 

"Yeah. He's one of the race of the Asgard, people with an even greater technological base than the Goa'uld. Several of them took a liking to humanity and because of their technology, they were assumed to be the gods. Loki has a habit of breaking the rules, which is why Odin shut him down. But he's been known to sneak around the restrictions." 

Tac'an growled. "Sounds like someone needs a severe talking-to and a time-out." 

Giles agreed. "Yes, he does seem rather childish, doesn't he?" 

Jack grinned. "You know, I think it's hilarious that you actually understood that." 

He smirked. "Comes from having Willow as a student. I had to learn Southern Californian out of self-defense." Then he frowned. "Still, why would Loki leave things like that lying around, and why were they never used?" 

Sam said, "Well, I bet they weren't used because Ra came to Earth. Then whoever would have opened this thing would have had other problems." 

"Right. But..." 

Suddenly there was a flash of light and they weren't in the SGC anymore. They stood on the silvery decks of an Asgard _O'Niell class_ warship.

* * *

Jack smiled when Thor approached them. Thor was the only individual Asgard that he could recognize. He was also the best friend Earth had among the Asgard, and he was Jack's personal friend. "It's good to see you, Thor. Great timing, by the way." 

The small alien nodded. "Yes. we were listening to your conversation. This is your commander, correct?" Thor indicated General Hammond. 

Jack turned. "Yes he is. Thor, General Hammond, Commander of the SGC. And this is Thor, Commander of the warship _O'Niell_." 

General Hammond shook Thor's long, spindly hand. "It's an honor to finally meet you. Allow me to introduce everyone else you haven't met. Dr. Rupert Giles, Daniel Ozborne, Willow Ozborne, Airman Alexander Harris, and Tac'an, wife of Teal'c." 

Thor nodded to each of them in turn. He then turned back to O'Niell. "I heard you say that Loki has left a device on your world, something dangerous?" 

Jack nodded. "Yep. Just how dangerous, though, I'm not the one to tell you." He pointed at Tac'an. "She's as close to an expert on what will happen as we've got." 

Thor took a closer look at the small woman, who was none-the-less far taller than he. "You are human, and yet there is something very different about you." 

Tac'an nodded. "Yes. I am from a parallel universe, one where someone got to play with that little toy of his. It creates a portal into a Hell dimension that will allow demons to walk the earth. Demons who will breed and make this little rock into something not even the Goa'uld would want to mess with." 

Another Asgard walked into the room. He took one look at Tac'an and said, "You are the Weapon." 

Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you call me that?" 

Thor turned to him. "Loki? Explain." 

Loki blinked. "Something I toyed with once. But I never activated it, nor did I leave it where it could be found. I do not understand how this is possible." 

Tac'an sighed. "It didn't happen in this universe. But in the one I came from originally, the Hellmouth was opened before Ra could show his wormy mug on Earth, so the Slayer had to be created. And every few years, another girl receives a death sentence because she has to fight until the demons and the vampires kill her. And then the next is called." She fought to keep her temper in check, knowing that this was not a being to piss off. "And you may not have left the Weapon where it could be activated, but you did leave the thing it's meant to fight. And now it's been stolen." 

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Without a second power source, there is no way to close the Portal. The Nexus is not enough. You must also have the Key. And it's the Key I took with me. The Weapon was a contingency plan. If the Key is present at the opening, then there is no need for the Weapon." 

Giles lit up. "The Key! It _is_ on Earth. A group of Franciscan monks summoned it in the sixteenth century when they discovered that the Tablets had been unearthed in Egypt. They feared that it might be needed. But it's impossible to get to. That's why I called Willow. I was afraid that we would need to find and use that Key, and it's going to take a lot of power to get that thing out of the hole they've buried it in." 

Loki looked affronted. "How could humans have gotten the Key?" 

Willow snorted. She took the pencil she had from behind her ear. She focused on it and it easily levitated out of the palm of her hand. "Magic. You've been messing around with it, or you couldn't have touched a Hell dimension, let alone the one that is an integral part of the fabric of our world, but you obviously don't understand it. Magic and spiritual energies are much more powerful than nuclear or plasma energy. I'd be willing to bet that it's even stronger than the total annihilation achieved in a matter/antimatter reaction. Ergo, it takes a lot less effort to use. And if someone wants to do damage and has an open mind, it's magic they're going to use." In demonstration, she looked directly into the gray alien's big black eyes and shattered the pencil to graphite dust and splinters with the power of her mind alone.

* * *

Review please! And remember this is AU to both series! 


	11. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: There will be no humanization of the Key. I'm using several things that happened after Graduation in Buffyverse, but because of the altered timeline, they never did in this one. The Key is meant for locking Hell dimensions back up, but it can be used to unlock one as well, as in Season 5. 

There will also be no smacking around of Loki. Any smacking around of Kinsey will happen after we deal with our Hellmouth problem. Here's your chance to vote on the Big Bad. Shall it be A)Kinsey and the NID? or B)Anubis? Vote in your review. (Hint, hint!) 

I've been gone quite a while, and I apologize. I've been kind of distracted. Hope you enjoy this!

* * *

CHAPTER 10

It turned out that Loki had been so convinced of the primitive nature of humanity that he had completely underestimated their intelligence. Tac'an had told him, "Primitive is just the first step. Just because a baby can't walk, that doesn't mean they're stupid or deformed. After all, they have to _learn_ how to walk, and they do that by observing. Humans are the same way. They observe the world around them, and they figure out what works. For some that leads to science. For others it leads to magic. For the best, it leads to both. That would be Willow." 

In a universe without the constant struggle against demons and with the marriage to Oz to boost her confidence, Willow had blossomed into a very powerful Wicca, quite strong enough to deal with almost any mystical darkness that the world as it was could come up with. That would no longer be the case if they couldn't stop the thieves from opening the Hellmouth. 

Hammond didn't know much about magic, but he figured it took a lot of concentration, so he assigned SG-1 and SG-15 to protect Willow and Giles while they worked. It was going to take magic to find the thieves, as Loki, in his arrogance, had not put a locator on the device or any of its components, which Thor had soundly rebuked him for. Of course, Oz came too, as moral support for his wife and as a gopher to make sure any items she and Giles needed would be in their reach. And Tac'an went for several reasons. First, because she wanted to be with her husband. Second, because if things got nasty with the thieves, having the Slayer there could only help matters. And third, if everything went south, they were going to need a Slayer to fight whatever came out of the Hellmouth. 

Willow had tried working with covens in the past, but she had never been able to sync up with more than one or two people. One of the best had been a girl named Tara, but she had left Sunnydale quickly, something to do with running from her father. So Willow mostly worked alone, though she had told Giles that she was always on call if he needed her. 

Giles had no innate affinity with magic, but he was a superb researcher, and the occult had always been of interest to him. In his capacity as Curator of the British Museum, he had a great deal of resources at his finger tips. He was a virtual walking encyclopedia on Wicca and Dark magic, and he had always been open-minded when it came to strange theories, which is what had endeared him so to Daniel Jackson. Giles had always told him, "Anything is possible. Never let the assumptions of others get in the way of your search for the truth." And Daniel had taken his advice to heart. 

Talking with Giles, Tac'an found that a lot of the same creatures she had dealt with in her past did in fact exist here. Werewolves were around, their existence being the result of a curse rather than a demonic possession. Lycanthropy was a disease created by magic, one that in this universe had never infected Oz or the cousin who had infected him in the other. Ghosts and other kinds of spirits had a far freer hand here, and were far more common. Vampires were merely legend and had never actually been created because the demon within them had never come through from Hell to Earth, but Vlad Dracul had still existed, and his legend had caused the ironically accurate vampire myth to be popularized. Tac'an had even been able to find several of the more infamous vampires of her own acquaintance through history. Angel had been Darien O'Rourke and had never met Drucilla or William. Drucilla had been a famous seer. William eventually became a famous writer. Darien had lived his life, married and had a family, a total of twelve children, before his death of extreme old age in the early nineteenth century. 

So, as they worked, Tac'an just smiled and let things develop naturally between the team members. They knew that she was from that parallel universe, but none of them had grasped yet that she had known them there. So if she just grinned when Xander started pestering Giles, only Jack noticed, and he kept his mouth shut. Giles had asked her all kinds of questions, but they had been about the demons she had faced, including everything from the Master to the Mayor. 

Tac'an, SG-1 and SG-15 went into Willow's home first, making sure there were no nasty surprises waiting for her. They didn't have any idea what the thieves might have knowledge of, so they were on full alert. Tac'an had always been able to sense magic, though not as strongly as demons, and she knew Willow's magical "scent," for want of a better word. There was nothing in the house that wasn't Willow, so she added a "Clear!" of her own to the ones being shouted around her at Jack. 

Thanks to Hecate Software, Willow was very well off, and it showed in the house she had bought when she and Oz had gotten married. Nothing about the house was really flamboyant, since that wasn't Willow. It was huge, but modestly decorated, all a sign of vast unflaunted wealth. She told the soldiers to make themselves comfortable and grabbed Oz, Xander and Tac'an to help her start turning down beds in the guest rooms. There were five such rooms, so everyone had to pair up, but they'd all had far worse accommodations in their lives, including Giles, who had lived out of a tent on many a dig site. He and Daniel paired up, Jack and Sam were in the next room, then Teal'c and Tac'an, Xander and Captain Finn, and Hicks and Michaels. 

Jack and Sam didn't show it, but they knew that things would be strained come nightfall with having to share a very comfortable bed. But Tac'an came to the rescue. She pulled the both of them aside and took a paper out of her cammo jacket. "Okay, before he left the base last time, I had a discrete talk with the President. I was worried that they wouldn't let Teal'c and I go on any missions together because of us being married, so I asked him just how tight those fraternization regulations were. He promised me he'd look into it. Just before we left the base, this came through on my fax machine." She handed the paper to Jack. It bore the Presidential Seal and George W. Bush's signature. 

The paper read: 

_Due to the nature of assignments in the Stargate project, this administration has deemed that certain regulations regarding fraternization should not apply to certain civilian and military personnel and can be disregarded. This includes all off-world teams, and will be maintained by this office, provided a certain level of discretion is maintained. So ordered by the President of the United States._

"Damn!" Jack grinned and passed the paper to Sam. 

Once she'd read it through, Sam's grin matched Jack's and she hugged the stuffing out of Tac'an. "Thank you so much!" 

Tac'an chuckled. "Hey, I didn't sign the paper. Make sure to send him flowers or something!"

* * *

Willow had two distinct work areas for magic, one in the sun, outside in her garden, and one in the dark, in the basement. She took Giles and Tac'an with her into the basement area to perform a location spell. since they were looking for an artifact and not a person, they knew that they would need to look for power traces, but that was really all they knew. It could be a long and difficult search. The thieves could be anywhere on the planet. 

But surprisingly, to Willow and Giles anyway, she got a hit almost immediately. The spell formed an image in the air of what it had found, and Giles confirmed that it was the Nexus, the most powerful part of the device. "It's right here in Sunnydale!" 

Tac'an snorted. Willow looked at her. "Sorry. It's just that almost anything mystical that has ever happened to me as Buffy Summers happened in this X-Files town. And I'll bet you anything I own I know where they've set up." 

"Where?"

* * *

The campus looked just like she'd left it, minus certain obvious things, like the stage she'd never gotten to walk across, and the gigantic demonic snake. Principle Snyder was the exact same troll she remembered him to be, griping at Willow and Giles initially for bringing the soldiers into the school, then backing off rather quickly when Jack got in his face and told him to take it up with the US government. Tac'an spotted a few familiar faces as she walked down the halls toward the library, including the science teacher who had been eaten her freshman year and Jenny Calendar. She wondered if, after all this was over, if they survived it, she might introduce Jenny to Giles. They really had been cute together in an icky kind of 'kids can't appreciate adults in relationships' way. 

Figuring that the thieves would need to perform their rituals in darkness, they talked Jack into allowing the two non-combatants to go first. Tac'an smiled at the familiar scent of the library, then approached the librarian. It was an older, slightly frumpy woman with graying hair. "Ma'am, have there been a lot of strange people coming through here lately? Besides us, I mean?" 

"Yes." Flustered, the woman shook her head a bit before continuing. "Yes, there have been several young men in here, rather a lot lately, but I didn't think much of it. They're all three former students here, and I just assumed that they felt more comfortable studying here than any other library." 

"Where do they usually go when they're here?" 

"Up in the stacks." 

"What are their names?" 

"Warren, Jonathan and Andrew." 

Willow came up behind them. "Oh, I remember those guys! they were all really solitary kinds, you know, geeks, as opposed to the far more social nerds." 

Xander chuckled. "Nice distinction, Will." 

She grinned at him cheekily. 

The civilians, Xander and Tac'an all headed for the stacks, Xander sweeping the area first with his P-90 at the ready, before he let anyone else follow him. He called out a clear, and as other clears were heard throughout the library, Tac'an relaxed. "Okay, Will. You and Giles get set up. We'll get things ready out here." She left the Wicca in the stacks and went to where Teal'c was standing in the middle of the small library, next to the work tables. "Hey." 

"All is well, Tac'an." And yet his face screamed that something was wrong. 

"You sure about that? You look worried." 

Teal'c nodded. "Yes. If this fails, forces even more dangerous than the Goa'uld, by hundreds of times,, will threaten this world. It will become a battle ground." 

Tac'an nodded. "Yes it will. And the story of my life will be repeated, at least my early life, in thousands of young girls as the centuries progress. That's why we're here, to stop that from happening." 

The big Jaffa looked down at his wife. "You would devote your time to the new Slayer, to training them and hoping that your training would prevent their deaths, at leas prolong their lives." 

She frowned. "Maybe." 

"I would miss fighting along side you." 

Suddenly, Tac'an figured out what her husband was worried about. "You're afraid that being the Slayer would prevent me from being your wife. Don't. It's you I fight for now. I love you, Teal'c, more than anything or anyone else. I promise!" She smiled indulgently at him. "You're it for me, big guy." Then she kissed him passionately. 

They were interrupted by the testy voice of the librarian. "Please! This is a school, not a motel!" 

Tac'an giggled when Teal'c glared at the woman. Xander cracked, "Yes, mustn't scar the impossibly horny teenagers with the sight of a happily married couple actually kissing in a public place." 

Oz said, "Yeah, 'cause marriage is such a bad thing." 

Willow had come down from her work to grab something from her supply bag. "And married smoochies? Even worse." 

Bouncing off of her friends in a familiar manner, Tac'an said, and there are so many teenagers around to witness them." 

They had all kept a straight face, but then Jack had to put his own bit into the scene. "Besides, this room would make a lovely hotel suite. Some better furniture, a couple of beds, some curtains..." And every soldier in the room except Teal'c cracked up, along with Willow and Oz, and Giles, Daniel an Teal'c were all grinning. The librarian walked off in a huff.

* * *

_Yay! This one's done. And don't worry. I have at least one more chapter written. This thing isn't over by a long shot. Don't forget to vote for the Big Bad! _


	12. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: See Prologue. _

A/N: Thanks again to all who have reviewed. The votes are in, and I know how I'm going to work this story now. The muse gets her wish! But not in this chapter. The next one will get the ball rolling, but it's going to take a while.

* * *

CHAPTER 11

The trio of ubergeeks made their appearance in the school library the very next day. Warren, Jonathan and Andrew walked into the room, surprised at the appearance of a new librarian. They thought that the older Britt was stuffy in the extreme, but he seemed to know his business, so they basically ignored him. Giles smiled once the trio had gone up into the stacks. It was nice to be underestimated sometimes. 

Thanks to the presence of Willow's very active spells, they were incapacitated when the magical core of the Nexus came into her circle, and the Nexus itself came into the center and froze there, spinning idly in place. Xander, Jack and Captain Finn secured their prisoners and then Willow released the magic restraints. Instantly the three started struggling. Warren shouted, "What's going on here!?" 

Tac'an dug into his duffle bag, pulling out the tablets. "What were you morons trying to pull here? I mean what would you possibly have to gain by opening up a portal into Hell?" 

Jonathan said, "Ultimate power?" 

Andrew continued with, "Oh, and really cool demon minions?" 

Warren just shook his head, looking like he'd like to maim his partners. 

Jack looked between the three and said, "Now I know why you weren't surprised to find out that Hell is in California." 

Tac'an just snorted. "Believe me, I've seen worse." Then she turned her attention to the objects in the bag. The four stone Tablets and the titanium Platform were laid out on the floor. "I hope Thor doesn't care if I break his brother's toys." One by one, she took the four triangular pieces of stone and broke them in half with her bare hands, which caused the three criminal idiots to stop struggling as they were too busy staring at her. Then she bent the square of titanium into the shape of a paper football. Xander squeaked, but no one planned to call him on it. 

The Nexus, of course, could not be destroyed so easily. Willow didn't even want to try. She had built a containment unit out of platinum, which was spelled so that it could not be opened without both the Weapon and the Key, and both would have to be in human form. The plan was to lock the object up in a secret vault, far away from any high energy sources or people. Hecate Software would keep track of the location but no one connected to the government was to know where it was. After all, if they didn't know, they couldn't tell the NID, and everyone agreed that was a good idea. 

The ubergeeks were sent to Britain, where they were arrested and imprisoned. So they were out of the picture for now. They would probably come up with other schemes in the future, but the likelihood of them being able to pull them off was slim to none. 

Thor had not been angry in the slightest, though Loki had been rather incensed. Thor had assured the humans that the destruction of the portal maker had been a relief to those of the Asgard who had been told of the device. Thor had also snatched the Weapon out of Loki's storage and presented it to Tac'an. The thing was beautiful, a huge and ornately etched scythe. When she touched it, it felt familiar and alien at the same time, like it was something she had known forever without actually touching it. There was no doubt. This was the thing that had called her, that had turned her into the Slayer. And yet, it wasn't. This scythe had never been used. It remained unsullied by the damning of hundreds of young girls. She was unsure what to do with it. Thor said, "If it belongs to a single being, it is you, not my brother. Do you want it preserved, in case it may be needed in the future? Or would you prefer it was destroyed?" 

Tac'an shook her head. "I'm really not sure. I mean, it's a horrible thing to damn the futures of children, but what if the Slayer is needed in the future?" She sighed. "I need time to think about this. Can you keep it safe for me for a while?" 

Thor nodded.

* * *

That night, as she lay with Teal'c in their quarters at the SGC, Tac'an brooded over whether or not to destroy the scythe. Would it be more prudent to keep hold of it? If a time when Slayers might be needed again came, did she want someone to activate them and ensure the damnation of generations of girls for the greater good of protecting the Earth from the forces of darkness? Why couldn't there be another way to do this? 

Teal'c's arms tightened around her as he stirred. "Tac'an? Why are you still awake, beloved?" 

"Can't sleep." She sighed. "I just can't stop thinking about that thing. I don't want it to be around in case some one decides they need to destroy little girls' lives, but what if in the future a Slayer is genuinely needed? I mean, just because I'm not aging, that doesn't mean I'll be around forever! I just don't know what to do." 

Teal'c smiled gently at her. "Then perhaps you should stop thinking about it for a time." He began running his hand down her back. "Allow me to distract you." Then he kissed her passionately and tenderly, causing her to shiver and refocus on the here and now. 

When they came up for air, she said, "You have the best ideas." And they spent their morning in bed, ignoring the rest of the world.

* * *

Tac'an asked Willow to look at the scythe for her. Willow had been confused about the Slayer for some time, and she took the opportunity to ask her some questions. "Why do you trust me so much? Why do you seem to know me and OZ and Giles so well, but stay away from us at the same time?" 

The older woman smiled. "I've been trying not to confuse you guys with some other people I used to know. Remember when I told you that I was originally from a parallel universe?" The witch nodded. "In that universe, before Ra could get up the stones to come and enslave the human population of Earth, someone decided to play with that toy of Loki's. Once one Hellmouth was opened, others could be opened a lot more easily and after a while they started doing so on their own. Ra never came because he didn't want to deal with the demons, or at least that would be my guess. 

"Because of all that, this scythe was activated. It called the first Slayer, and that was that. Forever after, the Slayer would be the one girl in all the world who stood between the dark and the humans. When one died, the next would be called, an endless cycle of premature death. 

"Cut to, I'm called as a Slayer just after I turned fifteen. I ended up burning down the school gym at my school in L.A. when half the people invited to the first dance of the year turned out to be vampires, which got me expelled. Mom and I were forced to move to Sunnydale, although part of that was Hank leaving. My first day at a new school, I walk into the library to get my books and who's there but Rupert Giles, Watcher." 

"Giles!?" 

"Yep. See, most people in my old universe have had a double in this one. Some don't. Xander's Aunt Joy never married Hank Summers in this universe. A smart decision. As a result, Buffy Summers was never born and I don't have a double here. Xander's parents died in a car crash, so he never had to live in their basement and be ignored. Joyce would never do that. But I'm betting she had a fit when he told her about joining the military." Willow nodded, remembering. "My Mom really flipped when she found out about the Slayer thing. I spent the summer in Cleveland over that one. 

"Your double was my best friend until Graduation. Oz was still her boyfriend, but he was also a werewolf. Xander still never dealt with his crush on you, but at least in this universe he never ended up with Cordelia." 

"Eww!" 

"Ditto. Those guys all helped me with who and what I was, and through research, moral support and occasional sticking in of noses, you all helped me deal with the things that went bump in the night. And there are some people that probably did have doubles here that I haven't looked up. Angel, Drucilla, Spike, Mayor Wilkins, Faith. None of them ever had to become what they became so they aren't something I'd have to deal with. Bottom line, some things are different. Without demonic influences they have to be. And I know you're not the same Willow who was my only real girlfriend ever. But you have the same soul, and I know I can trust you. And I've seen your skills with magic. Giles can't give you enough kudos about it. And you run the most successful company of it's kind in the world, partially thanks to magical protections you weave into the programs. I trust you and I know you've got the goods. Will you help me?" 

Willow's grin could have qualified as a geological event. "You bet! So what do you want to do with this thing, and when can we plan a shopping trip-cum-girl's night out?" 

"On the shopping, I'm trying to coordinate with Sam, Janet and her daughter Cassie on that one, so we'll need to compare schedules later. About the scythe, I want to change it so that the thing requires a _willing_ participant. I don't want it to just go and interrupt some girl's life without her consent. This way, there will still be a Weapon in the future when or if it's needed, but they'll be a willing warrior, not just some girl that fate grabbed and said 'Tag, you're it!'" 

"So you want it to ask nicely, then?" 

"Yep." 

"Cool. I bet I can do that, no problem."

* * *

April brought nothing new, just more of the same. Giles had gone back to the British Museum, promising Willow and the rest of the Scoobies-that-weren't to stay in touch. The girls had their all-day shopping excursion, Cassie playing twenty-thousand questions with both Willow and Tac'an. As they went through the whole mall, the two women split their time between answering her and getting to know each other, Sam and Janet riding herd over the whole mess, and making sure no one got lost. 

Tac'an and Willow clicked very well, and the witch agreed to be the marketing agent for the Chulaki coffee, which was growing beautifully in the river valley. They didn't know yet if the flavor was going to be much to talk about, but it was an exciting prospect to think about, especially if it would give a few students who wanted to do so funds to attend medical school at the Air Force Academy. No one wanted to do it if they couldn't pay their own way, and coffee and cocoa crops were looking to be the only cash crops that would grow in the Cral River Valley. Cassie couldn't wait to taste the chocolate that would be made from the new cocoa crops. But all of that was still a long way off. Things were just barely beyond the seedling stage at the moment. 

When Cassie took off for the Disney Store, the women turned to business for a moment. Sam said, "How did it go with the scythe?" 

Willow said, "Just fine. Loki only used energy to make it, not circuitry, so I was able to change the patterns just enough for what Tac'an wanted." 

Tac'an continued. "And Thor agreed to put it in a place where it would be out of Loki's reach, but where he could get it back to Earth in a hurry if we ever need it." 

"Good. I'd hate to think we couldn't get at it if we ever needed it." 

Tac'an nodded. "Yeah, but hopefully we never will."

* * *

Jack looked out at the greening desert that could be seen just on the other side of the city, amazed at the change since the last time he'd been in the area. "Damn, Bra'tac! I had no idea this was coming along so well!" 

Bra'tac smiled broadly and proudly at the man he'd come to respect in battle. "Yes. My daughter has very good ideas, does she not? No one here would have thought to turn the desert green." 

On the other side of him, Tac'an blushed. "Stop it. Someone would have thought of it." 

Jack grinned. "You don't do shy well, Xena. He's right, this was a really good idea." 

Bra'tac frowned. "Xena?" 

Tac'an through the Colonel a sour look. "A fictional warrior woman from an Earth story. One he knows well that I hate with a passion." 

"But you fit her so well!" 

"Save it, Jack. Don't forget I can kick your ass." 

"Okay, okay! Shutting up now." 

"Anyway, how are the other projects going?" 

"They go well indeed. Several wells have been dug within the city and every midwife in the city knows that she can come to your doctors for advice without fear. The engineers have even begun building sand walls to protect the crops during sandstorms." 

Tac'an grinned. "That's great!" She hugged her father, whispering in his ear as she did so. "We need to talk about the war effort as well." 

Bra'tac nodded. "Let us adjourn to my tents for the evening meal. We can talk more there."

* * *

_Well, that's it. Sorry I took so long. Other things have been eating at me. Enjoy! _


End file.
